


VIRGINIA 
BAPTIST 
MINISTERS 

George Braxton Taylor 



I 



FIFTH 
SERIES 



Virginia Baptist Ministers 



FIFTH SERIES 

1902 - 1914 

WITH SUPPLEMENT 



GEORGE BRAXTON TAYLOR 



Professor and Resident Chaplain Hollins College, 

Pastor of the "Hollins Field," 

and author of 

'Life and Letters of Rev. George Boardman Taylor, D. D. ; 

"Virginia Baptist Ministers, Third Series ;" 

"Virginia Baptist Ministers, Fourth Series." 



WITH A FOREWORD 

BY 

REV. GEORGE W. McDANIEL, D. D. 



1915 

J. P. BELL COMPANY, Inc. 

Lynchburg, Va. 



(L6^>oi aj 









V 



Copyright, 1915 
By George Braxton Taylor 



_A414£ 

NOV 30 i a ib , <— 



S)GIA414845 C 



To 

My Brother 

James Spotswood Taylor, M. D. 

Surgeon United States Navy 



k 



FOREWORD 

The history of any people is the biographies of its 
great men. This is preeminently true of Virginia 
Baptists. As the life of a state is seen best in the lives of 
its leading citizens, the history of Virginia Baptists is 
fully and faithfully delineated in the lives of its ministers. 
They are a noble succession. From the days of Semple, 
Rice, and Clopton, through all the intervening years, 
among the fairest names on the pages of history are the 
defenders of our Faith. 

The biography of the eminently pious may well be 
regarded with deep and living interest. In every herald 
of the Cross we behold a monument on which is in- 
scribed the triumph of the gospel. They reflect with no 
common luster the glory of their divine Redeemer. 
These "good ministers of Jesus Christ" have left their 
impress on the world. Where is the state, North, South, 
East, or West, that has not been made a debtor to the 
ministry of Virginia? The memorial of their deeds is 
recorded in this series of biography. Preceding volumes 
have been widely read, and preserve in permanent form 
the consecutive story of our people from the beginning 
in Virginia down to the present day. The forthcoming 
volume will be gladly welcomed, and will possess an 
entrancing interest for the reader of to-day, because it 
holds the portraiture of those of our own time. Many 
of these we have "seen in the flesh," and, having known, 
we love. They are among the faithful ministers who 
were pastors of the churches where we now worship, 
and who led many of us to Christ, and baptized us, and 
married us. They buried our dead and now they have 

5 



6 FOREWORD 

ceased from their labors, and we are reaping in the fields 
where they so richly sowed. 

Our historian has here a happy period to cover — the 
men of this volume he has known in person, and his 
information comes to us first hand. Princely subjects 
has he too, for among these are the beloved Tupper, 
Hawthorne, Hatcher, and George Boardman Taylor, his 
own earthly father. There are countless others dear to 
many of us, and faithful in every relation of life, whose 
biographies adorn these pages. 

The work has been well done. It is fitting that the 
history so nobly begun and prosecuted through two 
volumes by the gifted Dr. James B. Taylor should be 
continued so worthily by his distinguished grandson, 
Dr. George Braxton Taylor. The Baptists of Virginia, 
the South, and, indeed, of all the world, are under a 
lasting obligation to Dr. George Braxton Taylor, the 
versatile and scholarly author of the forthcoming volume, 
the fifth of the series, and the third one to be edited by 
him. He has, gratuitously, rendered this beautiful serv- 
ice to the denomination. With him, as with his illustri- 
ous grandfather, it was a labor of love. His task has been 
pursued with patience, through careful research, in pains- 
taking application, and with a discriminating mastery of 
details. Who else among us has made so large a con- 
tribution of his time and his talent as has Dr. Taylor, in 
this splendid service so unselfishly rendered to the great 
Baptist Brotherhood? 



Geo. W. McDaniel. 



Pastor's Study, 

First Baptist Church, 

Richmond, Va. 

Oct. 4, 1915. 



PREFACE 

In 1837 Rev. James B. Taylor published the "First 
Series" of "Lives of Virginia Baptist Ministers." The 
"Second Series," written by the same hand, covered the 
period to 1860. Upon the request of the Baptist General 
Association of Virginia the "Third Series" and the 
"Fourth Series" were written and published. Details as 
to the origin and scope of these two "Series" will be 
found in the preface of each of these volumes. 

A Resolution, offered by Rev. Dr. E. W. Winfrey, at 
the meeting of the General Association at Lynchburg, in 
1913, and adopted by the body, requested the author of 
the "Third" and "Fourth Series" to prepare a "Fifth 
Series." The Association appointed W. F. Fisher, W. W. 
Hamilton, and W. S. Royall, a committee to cooperate 
with the author in the matter of the publication of the 
"Fifth Series." This "Fifth Series" is now presented. 
It contains sketches of ministers who died between 1902 
and 1914. (Some of .the sketches in the Supplement be- 
long to an earlier period. ) The roll may not be complete, 
yet the effort has been to make record of all. Even where 
men have so recently passed away, in many cases it has 
been impossible to secure the facts necessary for satis- 
factory accounts of their lives. In one or two instances 
relatives were unwilling for sketches of their loved ones 
to be published. To help secure the five hundred advance 
subscriptions necessary to make the publication of an 
edition of a thousand volumes possible, each of the fol- 
lowing persons has subscribed for ten copies : Rev. Dr. 
E. W. Winfrey, Culpeper ; Mr. F. W. Whitescarver ; 
Salem ; Rev. W. A. Pearson, Keysville ; Hon. Chas. A. 
Johnston, Christiansburg ; Mr. Richard H. Edmonds, 
Baltimore ; Mr. A. J. Chewning, Richmond, Va. ; Mr. 
H. M. Riffe, Elliston; Mr. George A. Diuguid, Lynch- 
burg; Mr. E. E. Tompkins, Roanoke; Mr. E. R. 
Monroe, Brookneal; Rev. Dr. James T. Dickinson, 
Brooklyn; Mr. E. L. Flippo, Roanoke; Mr. M. P. Gate- 
wood, Pleasant View (Amherst County) ; Rev. F. P. 



8 PREFACE 

Berkley (Baptist Church), Covington; Judge W. W 
Moffett, Salem ; Mrs. D. G. Whittinghill, Rome. 

It would be impossible to set down here the names of 
all who have helped to supply the data for these lives. 
Not a few of these kind friends are mentioned in various 
sketches. It is not perhaps invidious to say that Prof. 
W. A. Harris, of Richmond College, by his willing and 
patient assistance, has made possible more than one of 
the life records that follow. Dr. R. H. Hudnall, of the 
Virginia Polytechnic Institute, has read the "proof" and 
rendered other valuable help. 

This "Fifth Series" is presented with the sincere hope 
that it will do good, give pleasure, and, by perpetuating 
the story and showing the spirit of noble men of God, 
bring many young men to hear the call of God to the 
gospel ministry. While it has been the aim to secure 
accuracy, there are doubtless errors. Wherever it was 
possible original sources, such as Minutes of Associa- 
tions, family records, letters, and files of newspapers, 
have been consulted. If I could have spent a considerable 
time in the room of the Virginia Baptist Historical 
Society at Richmond College, this volume might have 
been made more interesting. In the midst of my twofold 
work as pastor and professor, among the blue mountains 
at Hollins, with now and then a day in the archives at 
Richmond, by more than two years of work, this volume 
has been prepared. While it has not seemed best to give 
the authority in a footnote for each statement, all of the 
sketches are based on presumably reliable information. 
To write this book has been a joy and a blessing to me, 
making me realize more fully what I had known before, 
that the Virginia Baptist Ministry is a consecrated band 
of brothers, who, with love that envieth not and that 
thinketh no evil, work together with a high degree of 
unselfishness, for the coming of the Kingdom of God in 
Virginia and the world. 

George Braxton Taylor. 
"The Hill," Hollins, Va., 
October 4, ipi 5. 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Abraham, Wycliffe Yancey 87 

Baldwin, Noah Calton 46 

Baptist, Edward Langston 424 

Barnes, James Henry 229 

Barron, Alonza Church 141 

Beale, Frank Brown 207 

Bealer, George B 479 

blllingsley, joseph francis _. 403 

Boatwright, Reuben Baker _ 369 

Boston, Francis Ryland 311 

Braxton, Thomas Corbin _ 500 

Brown, Wade Bickers 154 

Buckles, William N _ 201 

Carpenter, J. C 497 

Claybrook, Frederick William 437 

Clopton, Samuel Cornelius 104 

Coleman, James D 452 

Collier, Charles Weldon 435 

Cooper, George 406 

Cridlin, Ransell White 379 

Curry, Jabez Lamar Monroe 53 

Davidson, Judson Carey 427 

Daughtry, William Bonnie 411 

Davis, James Allison 83 

Deans, Joseph Franklin 49 

Dickinson, Alfred Elijah 166 

Dodge, Henry W ~ 474 

Eaton, Thomas Treadwell 483 

Edmonds, Richard Henry 449 

Edmondson, Thomas F 120 

Edwards, Richard _ 179 

Ellyson, Onan _ 251 

Eubank, Alexander 67 

Faulkner, John Kerr 385 

Fleet, Alexander 362 

Flippo, Oscar Farish 69 

Funk, Benjamin _ 239 

Funk, Timothy 234 

9 



10 CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Garlick, Joseph R 345 

Gatewood, Thomas Breckenridge _ 377 

Gilbert, Robert Babbor 364 

Gregory, Ernest Thomas 103 

Grimsley, Simeon U 177 

Grimsley, Thomas F 365 

Gwaltney, James Lancaster 501 

Hart, Joseph Washington „ 433 

Hash, Albert Grant 326 

Hatcher, Harvey 121 

Hatcher, William Eldridge 348 

Hawthorne, James Boardman 253 

Haymore, Robert Daniel _ _-. 274 

Healy, Nathan 503 

Hess, James 163 

Hume, Thomas, Jr _ 337 

Hundley, John Walker _ 442 

James, Benjamin Carter 164 

James, Charles Fenton 38 

Jones, Frerre Houston 314 

Jones, James E 330 

Jones, John William 218 

Keeling, Henry _. 504 

Kemper, James Foley 287 

Kendrick, Joseph B 374 

Kern, I. T 212 

Kingsford, Edward _ 490 

Lamb, John Moody 127 

Lancaster, John Frazier _. 273 

Leonard, Joseph _ 281 

Lewis, Thomas W 130 

Luck, James Paschal 392 

Luke, Isaac V 482 

Lunsford, Robert Rhodam 91 

Maiden, James Franklin 94 

Martin, John W 298 

Mason, Samuel Griffin 241 

Masste, Samuel P 441 

May, Isaac Newton 367 

McCown, John W 244 

McDonald, Henry 99 

Meador, Chastain Clark 114 

Milbourne, Lodowic Ralph 149 



CONTEXTS 11 

PAGE 

Munden, Nathan M 89 

Munday, James Alexander _ 269 

Murdoch, Joseph Ryland 147 

Newman, Theron Wallace 97 

Norris, Calvin Roah _ _ 431 

Owen, Austin Everett 156 

Parrish, Madison E 277 

Pearson, Thomas P 286 

Penick, William Sydnor 181 

Pennington, Ballard Preston _ 480 

Perry, John Major _ _ 1 10 

Petty, Henry 108 

Pollard, John 135 

Quarles, John Rhodes 242 

Ragland, Hugh Davis 421 

Randolph, John Thompson 144 

Read, Mashall W _ 79 

Reynolds, Albert D 323 

Rhodes, Walter _ 328 

Rice, Archibald Alexander 43 

Ryland, Charles Hill 455 

Ryland, John William 125 

Sallade, Jacob _ 279 

Sanford, Robert Bailey 248 

Scott, Thomas D _. 268 

Selfe, Wilson - V 376 

Settle, Vincent Thomas _ 477 

Shaver, David _ 498 

Shepherd, Thomas Benton 161 

Snead, George Holman 306 

Speight, John Alexander 389 

Straton, Henry Dundas Douglas _ _ 446 

Stuart, Charles Edwin _ 284 

Taylor, George Boardman 187 

Taylor, James Barnett, Jr 300 

Taylor, James Ira 296 

Thames, Travis Buthy 487 

Thomas, James Magruder _ 400 

Thomas, John Richard -. 413 

Thompson, S. H 317 

Tribble, Henry Wise 319 



12 CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Tucker, R. Atwell 65 

Tupper, Henry Allen 13 

Turpin, John Broadus , 213 

Ward, John Wyatt _ 133 

Warren, Patrick Thomas 334 

Webb, W. R 237 

Wharton, Morton Bryan 203 

Whitsitt, William Heth _ _. 290 

Wilkinson, John Robert 332 

Williams, George Franklin 415 

Williams, William Harrison 80 

Williamson, Robert _ 282 

WlLLINGHAM, ROBERT JoSIAH 462 

Willis, John Milton 231 

Wilson, M. A 112 

Woodfin, Augustus Beverly 395 

Wrenn, C. E 289 









VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 
1828-1902 

Autobiography is probably the best biography. A 
request once came to Dr. Tupper from a magazine for a 
sketch of his life. In declining the request he said : "A 
man's true life can not go on paper, and one not true 
should not go." Yet a record of his life, which Dr. Tup- 
per wrote, probably with no idea of publication, ought to 
be published. Until that is done, the extracts which fol- 
low give interesting pictures of a noble and highly useful 
life. 

"I am impressed by the truth which is hinted in con- 
sciousness, made plain by reason, and clearly stated in 
the Word of God, that every man must give an account 
of himself unto God. . . . According to the family 
Bible, I was born in Charleston, S. C, on the 29th of 
February, 1828. Believing in a minute Providence, I 
presume that there was some reason why I should be 
born in Leap Year, but as I have never noticed anything 
in my life or character which seemed to have any relation 
to this odd period of time, not even the oddness for which 
many of my father's family were noted, I shall pass by 
my natal day, which, during my boyhood, was always 
specially celebrated, with the mere record of its date. 

"I do not believe in the transmission of grace, but in 
my anxious desire and hope with regard to myself, as a 
child of God, I can not but feel a lively satisfaction that 
the whole of my mother's family, so far as I know of 
them, were godly people. I knew my maternal grand- 
mother and can testify as to her pious living and hopeful 

13 



14 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

dying. The journal of my grandfather, Jacob Yoer, 
breathes throughout the spirit of divine grace, which 
accords with the evidence of my noble mother, who never 
tires of her praises of her father's deep and devoted spir- 
itual character. He counseled his children to read the 
Bible on their knees. They were both Charlestonians by 
birth and members of the First Baptist Church of that 
city. Their remains are lying in the yard of that church. 
. . My great-grandmother, on my mother's side, I 
shall die believing that I recollect. For many years this 
notion was a subject of laughter in the family, but I 
could never be laughed out of the testimony of my 
memory, in which I have always had more confidence 
than in any other of my mental faculties. The Nullifica- 
tion of 1832 I remember perfectly — the preparing of 
cockades and sticks, the smuggling in of boxes of arms, 
the drilling of the boys, the street fights, and the popular 
songs, one of which was : 

" 'H is a gentleman, 

Who rides in a gig; 

P is a blackguard 

That runs on a pig.' 

"The birth of my brother, Tristram, who is some three 
years my junior, I distinctly remember — rather, I dis- 
tinctly remember that / cried for the baby and wished 
to lock him up in what was called 'my top drawer.' 
. . . In the Lutheran churchyard of Charleston the 
epitaphs of these pious great-grandparents, who were 
natives of Heidelberg, may be read. ... If I can 
not hope for a godly life on the ground of the peculiar 
piety of my mother's family, may I not possibly trace 
the ardent sentiments of my heart as a Baptist with 
regard to religious liberty to my ancestry of 'obstinate 
Lutherans', and with regard to missions, to the fact that 
three or more successive generations of my father's 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 15 

family were devoted to this work? The record of my 
father's family [is] a document over forty feet long and 
tracing the family through some 500 members to the 
year 1551, when they were driven by Charles V from 
Hesse Cassel to England, and . . . the Island of 
Guernsey. . . . The Records . . . show that 
Thomas Tupper, who was born in Sandwich, England, 
and who came to this country before 1637, was greatly 
interested in the welfare of the Indians. . . . Died 
March 28, 1676, aged upwards of 98 years. His wife 
died this same year, aged 90. . . . [He] filled various 
offices, besides giving much of his time to the work of 
gospelizing the Indians. . . . Tupper appears in the 
original form as Toppfer . . . called Tontperd in 
France, and by corruption Toupard in the Netherlands, 
whilst in Germany and England and America the name 
assumed the form so familiar to the public as the designa- 
tion of the author of 'Proverbial Philosophy'. . . . 
The Family Records show . . . the motto on the 
Coat of Arms of the family, 'L'espoir est me force.' 
. . . It is written of Thomas Tupper, Sr. : 'A town 
meeting 6 mo., 7, 1644, warned by order of the Select- 
men to take course for repairing the meeting-house ; 
whereupon divers persons engaged freely to pay in goods 
and merchantable Indian corn the next April to Thomas 
Tupper for as many bolts as would shingle the old 
meeting-house. The church was composed of Mr. Tup- 
per and ten others. . . . He officiated without 
ordination for a time . . . then he turned his atten- 
tion to the Indians. ... At this period, 1767, Mr. 
Elisha Tupper . . . was engaged in missionary 
efforts among the Indians. . . . Even in these early 
times these independent folk did not like to be taxed for 
the gospel. ... In 1745 Medod Tupper and 
twenty- four others attending a meeting in the meeting- 



16 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

house in the western part of the town were petitioners to 
be excused from paying for the support of Mr. Fessen- 
don. 

"My father, Tristram Tupper, settled in Charleston, 
S. C, in 1810, when he married my mother, Eliza 
Yoer (original name, Jover), in 1816, and died 
with the fall of the city of his love, to whose inter- 
ests he had been devoted for more than half a century, 
in 1865. For sixty years the Commission House of 
T. Tupper, and T. Tupper and Sons, which for many 
years sold most of the produce sent from Louisiana to 
Charleston, was the synonym of commercial honor and 
ability. My father was the author and finisher of the 
South Carolina Railroad from Charleston to Augusta, 
Ga., which, when completed, was the longest railroad in 
the world, and of which he was president for many years. 
Mainly through his influence the First Baptist Church 
edifice, one of the finest structures in the city, was built. 

. . Excepting my eldest brother, born in 1817, all 
of my nine brothers and sisters, with myself, were born 
in the old home, No. 52 Tradd Street. And a happy 
home it was. My father was a wise man. His maxims 
of wisdom were strikingly original. . . . When I 
was going away from home he wrote on a sheet of paper : 
'Virtue is happiness ; vice is misery.' When the children 
departed from wisdom's way they found a standing 
rebuke in the life and character of their father. . . . 
My mother . . . was one of the most beautiful and 
intellectual women I ever knew. . . . Her parents 
sent her from Charleston to be educated in Philadelphia, 
where she gave much attention to the Fine Arts and 
formed the acquaintance of some of the most distin- 
guished men of the times. My mother's journal, in 
several quarto volumes, which she kept for nearly two- 
thirds of a century, will be, and is, I presume, the com- 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 17 

pletest history extant of Baptist affairs in Charleston. 
. . . The great longing of mother's heart was the 
intellectual and religious education of her children, while 
a breach of decorum was almost a crime in her eyes. 
Her own manners were loveliness itself, and she con- 
trolled more powerfully by her smiles than she could 
have done with a rod of iron. . . . Father seldom 
commended. . . . My father was a man of few, 
direct words. . . . Thomas T upper 'ranted; says 
the Annals, and was touched with fanaticism. My father 
was the antipode of this, but his children are not like 
their paternal parent. I know that naturally I am given 
to hyperbole. . . . My father was the most accurate 
man, in all business, I ever knew. ... At table and 
in the family circle money was rarely or never men- 
tioned. To speak of the cost of things and the like was 
regarded a lack of good taste, rather it was never done 
because somehow' it had never been done and w r e never 
thought of doing it. . . . In my father's office the 
lessons of business order and carefulness were positive 
and vigorous. A clerk would have been instantly dis- 
missed for making the least deviation in the price of any 
commodity for sale. . . . My father made all of his 
boys keep petty cash books. ... In the midst of my 
college course he took me into his office, much to the dis- 
tress of mother and my own dissatisfaction, and kept me 
there for two years and until I became the bookkeeper. 
This I regard now as the most important two years of 
my education, . . . For thirty years I have kept a 
cash book and can tell at any time my income and 
expenditure at any period during that time. Last year 
I had occasion to inquire on a point of that kind, and in 
a few minutes I found that in twenty years I had 
expended some $250,000, of which amount some 
$110,000 had been given to the Lord. . . . The 



18 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

counsel which my father gave to all his sons was : 'Avoid, 
if possible, all money responsibilities for others.' Before 
he would take a son into business — and five of them were 
first and last in the firm of T. Tupper and Sons — he 
made him agree in writing that he would never endorse 
a note, out of the regular order of the business. He 
would never advise a son to go into a bank or any busi- 
ness of the kind. . . . Scarcely a week passed in my 
childhood and youth that company was not invited to the 
house. Mother's rule was that all children should be 
seen. No child was allowed to run when company called 
or came on invitation. If we did no more, we had to 
come in and bow and retire. . . Most of us made 

several trips to the North in our youth, and all of the 
family have since, I believe, delighted in this recreation. 
I became too fond of company and the dance, and could 
in my younger days only check the love of society by the 
conviction that its excess is hurtful to better things. 

"At three years old I went to the infant class of the 
First Baptist Church, under the pastorate then of Rev. 
Basil Manly, Sr., in which school I remained until I went 
to Madison University to study theology. In this school 
I made the acquaintance of Jas. P. Boyce and of his 
sister, now my wife, and by whose influence I was led to 
take a class in the Sabbath school even before I had 
made a profession of Christ. I only remark here that the 
pointed questions of my pupils excited very solemn 
inquiries in my mind. . . . One of the prominent 
features of the school was the Mite Box to raise money 
for the heathen. My Sunday-school teacher was my 
first day-school instructor. Her method was peripatetic, 
as we learned our alphabet and our spelling walking 
around a circle and singing out the letters and the sylla- 
bles in more or less musical or unmusical accent. To 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 19 

two other ladies I went to school before I was eight years 
old : Mrs. Hitchborn, a neighbor, who used to give me 
cracked sugar when I cried, and Mrs. Levy Yates, whose 
school was located on the edge of the water, which is 
now covered by the Park or South Battery, and from 
which water I was once rescued when drowning, although 
I begged my rescuer to save my hat first that mother 
might not know that I had been in to swim. A penalty 
of the school . . . was to stand up on a chair and 
read the Bible, which reading was not always done with 
the most seemly state of mind. Being laughed at when 
in that elevated position by two girls, I jumped down, 
and, holding their heads together, kissed them both, for 
which offense one of the young ladies, now Mrs. B. P., 
did not forgive me for many years. Another penalty was 
being locked up in the pantry. When thus incarcerated I 
forced an apple whole into my mouth, which forbidden 
fruit had to be cut out piece by piece. . . . In a copy 
of Goldsmith's Natural History, which I received as a 
prize, I see that I was at Rev. Dyer Ball's school in 1836, 
when I was eight years old. Dr. Ball, shortly after this, 
went to Asia, where he was a missionary for many years. 
As I was too young to recite with the boys, I 'said my 
lessons' downstairs to Mrs. Ball with her two little girls, 
Mary and Caroline. . . While at this school I had 

a little moral experience which may not be out of place. 
On the inside of a drawer of an old washstand, which 
may be seen now in the attic of our old home in Charles- 
ton, are the figures 2068. That number indicates the 
marbles which I had won, and which the drawer con- 
tained. My sister asking me, 'What is the difference 
between winning marbles and gambling?' I took my 
spoils to school and divided them among the boys, and 
since that day have never offered or received a wager. 
. . . At the High School my most intimate friend 



20 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

was Henry Hannibal Timrod, the Poet. His middle 
name he subsequently omitted. He was the most 
passionate, the most high spirited, the most eloquent boy 
I knew. . . . His lofty honor was a constant 
inspiration to my soul. His love of the beautiful and the 
true made my mother to admire him as the companion 
of her boy. At this time I excelled in sports, running, 
riding, dancing, swimming, pistol shooting, etc. I was 
more noted for them than as a student. . . . While 
I was at Charleston College there were three presidents : 
Colonel Finley, Judge Mitchell King, and Dr. Wm. T. 
Brantley. ... I have nothing to be proud of in my 
college course. Imbibing skeptical notions, I preached 
them to knots of students as I had opportunity. When I 
repented I tried to undo the mischief. About this time 
I took to public lecturing on Temperance, though but a 
boy. In this I received at least the benefit of being taken 
down by seeing my dear grandmother weeping while I 
was telling a funny story and by being told that the 'puff' 
in the next day's Courier was written before my address 
was delivered. 

"After our conversion, Boyce and I started for 
Madison University. In New York we heard from Dr. 
Conant that we must make up a quarter's Hebrew in 
three weeks, as the Senior Class had studied it the last 
term. Boyce's eyes being weak, he returned home and 
married. I hastened to Hamilton, engaged a private 
tutor, with whom I went through Gesenius' Hebrew 
Grammar, in the time allotted. In this study I believe I 
stood respectably, as Dr. Conant told me I made a mis- 
take in not accepting the chair of Hebrew in Furman 
University. My intercourse with Drs. Kendrick, Conant, 
Eaton, Maginnis, and others, and, above all, with the 
sainted Dr. Kendrick, Sr., though bedridden, was a good 
education in itself. ... At the University the spirit 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 21 

of missions was ablaze. ... I was corresponding 
secretary of the Society of Inquiry, which tended to 
strengthen my resolve to give myself to the work of 
preaching Jesus to the nations. ... I received from 
the University the degrees of A. B., A. M., and D. D. 

"In 1837 Dr. Fuller preached in our church from the 
words: 'My son, give me thy heart.' I wept until I was 
ashamed. Until I became a professor of religion I was 
constantly afraid, on going to church, that I would be 
convicted and expose myself to the people. This fear 
often made me seek the gallery, though contrary to the 
rule of the family. . . . Dr. Fuller, with Mr. Craw- 
ford, the pastor of the First Church, and Mr. Wyer, was 
conducting a protracted meeting. I went to the door, but 
was afraid to enter. Next morning before breakfast I 
went and took my seat by the door. Mr. Crawford came 
to me. The devil took possession of me and I began 
with my skeptical arguments. He sent Mr. Wyer to me. 
Though very tender and affectionate, he finally arose and 
said : 'Young man, your infidelity will damn you.' I was 
greatly offended. Instead of going home to breakfast, I 
walked out of town full of anger and with the words 
ringing in my heart — 'Will damn you.' I concluded that 
I would be damned. ... I went again to the meet- 
ing. Dr. Fuller spoke to me. Sent Mr. Wyer to me, 
who said : 'You are not far from the Kingdom,' but 1 
knew that I would be damned . . . talked wildly to 
mother about my sins and ruin. Went to father's office, 
paced up and down the back store praying for deliverance. 
Tut (my brother Tristram) came in dancing and singing. 
1 burst into tears and told him : T will be damned, but 
you must not!' I made him kneel down and prayed for 
him. Then I hid myself in the hayloft and poured out 
my distressed spirit to God. Going home, I found that 
Dr. Fuller had left for me James' Anxious Inquirer. 



22 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

The devil again entered me. I vowed I would not go 
again to hear Dr. Fuller and I would resist salvation even 
if it were forced upon me. Mother chided me kindly but 
wisely. My conscience pricked me. My sins seemed like 
a mountain crushing me to perdition. I read The 
Anxious Inquirer almost all night. I was relieved and 
alarmed. The idea of a false hope terrified me. In the 
morning I went to the Inquiry Meeting. In reply to my 
fears Dr. Fuller said : 'If you go to hell I will go with 
you and we shall preach Jesus there until they turn us 
out, and then where will we go?' For several weeks I 
was bowed down because I could not feel my sins. On 
Sunday night I went to hear Mr. Francis Johnson. He 
preached on 'The Law of God.' I was overwhelmed 
and fell down on my knees in the pew and burst into 
tears. . . . Next morning I went to see Mr. John- 
son. He said I was converted as much as he. I pro- 
tested. He bade me go to my closet and plead before 
God the fulfilment of his promise in the 9th verse of 
Romans X. I did so. I believed and rejoiced in the 
word : 'Thou shalt be saved.' The whole world was 
changed. It was a delight to live. I could have encom- 
passed the universe in my love. ... At the church 

door next day I saw . I offered him my hand. 

In an hour or so he rode up and handed me a note, asking 
if my hand was offered as a retraction of the insult of 
cutting his acquaintance. I drew him upstairs and 
implored him to repent and believe. I carried him to see 
Dr. Fuller. We prayed together and were baptized 
together by Dr. Fuller on the evening of the 17th of 
April, 1 846. . . . The night I was baptized Dr. Ful- 
ler said to the congregation : 'This young man wants to 
go to Africa, but we need him at home.' . . . Dr. 
Fuller preached nightly for six weeks. Some 500 con- 
verts. Two hundred joined Baptist churches. Our daily 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 23 

sunrise prayer-meetings continued for two years, until 
all of us who led went away to study for the ministry. 

After his conversion Mr. Tupper passed through a 
period of doubt and anguish. He questioned his con- 
version and refused to hear a voice that called him to the 
gospel ministry. At last, however, he came out into a 
large place where there was peace and joy. His journal 
continues : 

"When I was a little boy I used to play 'preaching' in 
the attic story, the children being the congregation and 
I the preacher. I often told my friends that I intended 
being a lawyer until I was thirty years old and then I 
would enter the ministry, as Dr. Fuller did. . . . 
Long before I had any notions of religion I used to prac- 
tice my gifts as a preacher in my room. ... I was 
deeply interested in the saving of souls, and felt no 
stronger desire than to see the world brought to Jesus. 
I thought seriously on the matter and determined to give 
myself to the work. . . . Finally, through the influ- 
ence of Brother Kendrick, it was concluded that Boyce 
and I go to Madison University, Hamilton, New York. 
. . . Of all the preachers who made deep impressions 
at Hamilton, Dr. Fuller was the greatest. I doubt if 
there was his equal in the pulpit since the days of the 
Apostle Paul. But my head is swallowed up by my heart 
whenever I think or speak of this, my father in the Lord. 
My course was in the midst of the fierce struggle which 
resulted in the founding of Rochester University. . . . 
God overruled the storm and Hamilton was saved while 
Rochester was gained. . . 

"On November 1, 1849, I was married at Kalmia, 
S. C, the summer residence of Hon. Kerr Boyce, to his 
pious and intelligent daughter, Nannie Johnstone. I had 
known her from earlv childhood. We were reared in the 



24 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

same Sabbath school. Our parents' pews in the church 
were almost opposite to each other. . . . Fre- 
quently she dressed in white. I often thought that the 
garb was a fit and beautiful emblem of her simple and 
pure character. The plainness of her dressing was 
always to be noted in view of the fact that she was 
literally doted on by her father, who was probably the 
wealthiest man in the city, and known by all to be devoted 
to his children. . . . She was really 'the pious, con- 
sistent little member of the church.' She visited the poor, 
sought children for the Sabbath school, and was ready 
for every good word and work. ... I was called to 
the pastorate of the Baptist Church at Graniteville, S. C. 
. . . Was ordained pastor of the church, by Rev. 
Wm. Hard and Rev. Mr. Brooks, on the first Sabbath 
of the year 1850. . . . My work at Graniteville was 
partly missionary and entirely gratuitous and this greatly 
delighted me. ... It was a first love indeed. Fresh 
from the University, my habits of study were continued 
and I gave much time to the study of the Scriptures. In 
the afternoon I usually preached an expository sermon, 
and in this way took the church through most of the 
epistles of the New Testament. On Saturday night I 
met with as many as would attend and examined them 
on the Scripture expounded the Sabbath before. . . . 
My health seemed to fail. ... I had to spend the 
winter of 1852 in Florida. Dr. Geddings, of Charleston, 
said I must never preach again. . . 

"Entered upon the pastorate of the Baptist Church at 
Washington, Ga., in the spring of 1853. . . . There 
we had the loveliest of homes. . . . There a devoted 
church, in which I never noticed a ripple of discontent, 
loved us, and a whole town called me Bishop. . . . 
Washington is one of the oldest towns in Georgia. It 
was named when Washington was a colonel. The streets 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPEK 25 

were made narrower to give better defence against the 
Indians. . Between the denominations the ut- 
most cordiality prevailed. . The whole com- 
munity became a spiritual family. . . . No man 
could be more perfectly identified with a place than I was 
with 'dear old Washington." For many years I preached 
three times on the Sabbath. . . For some fourteen 
years I preached on Sunday afternoon to the children. 
Phi Upsilon became an institution of Washing- 
ton. It was, as the mystic name signifies, a Literary 
Temperance Society. The meetings were held in a cot- 
tage in my grove. Grove extensive . . . some three 
hundred cedars that I had planted . . . garden 
. . . flowers. . . . 'Labyrinth' modeled after 
that of ancient Crete. . . Grounds thrown open to 
the public. . . . Before the War I preached every 
Sunday and Tuesday night to the colored people and had 
appointments on the plantations in the vicinity. This 
was service in which my heart rejoiced. ... I had 
a large colored membership and many of them devoted 
Christians. . . My morning sermons were pre- 
pared with care. Friend B , an elder in the Pres- 
byterian Church, would criticize them as too abstract. 
But I could not or did not reform. . . . Revivals of 
the most blessed kind were enjoyed. . . . The 
monthly Concert of Prayer for the salvation of the world 
was regularly kept up. . . . The church was 
thoroughly indoctrinated on the subject of missions, as 
their large contributions indicated. But frankness re- 
quires me to say that in the report of those donations 
were included my support of a missionary among the 
Indians and another in Africa, or amounts equivalent to 
such support. ... I felt myself greatly indebted 

for a criticism on my early preaching at W , viz. : 

that / talked to sinners as if I were mad. . . . Our 



26 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

house, an imposing building, was a square edifice on a 
very high foundation approached by winding steps in 
front and surrounded by a colonnade on all four sides 
that reached from the lower floor to the balustrade which 
rose above the roof of the house. . . . Grounds 
extensive, some fifteen acres in pleasure grounds and use- 
ful meadow. . . Children trained at home or in 
private schools. ... A trip to Europe made a 
momentary break in our Washington life. . . . My 
library was of good quality, some 1,500 volumes; the 
children fond of reading. There were few things that 
we cared for or coveted beyond our constant reach, save 
more knowledge of Jesus, more experience of his love, 
and more perfect assurance of our election and calling. 
But, happy as I was, I felt that I might be more usefully 
employed. . . . The subject of missions haunted 
me. As chairman of the Executive Committee on Mis- 
sions, formed by the Georgia Association, I had some- 
thing to do to supply missionaries and sustain them, but 
I wanted more. . . . Finally I formed the plan of 
a self-sustaining colony to Japan. I paid two visits to 
Dr. Taylor (Cor. Sec. F. M. Bd.) at Richmond, Va. I 
corresponded with the United States Ministers in the 
East. . . . Some $250,000 would be invested for 
the benefit of the mission. But the way was not clear; 
the War came on, and the cherished plan, like my others 
for missionary work, was unrealized. . . . 

"In the principles on which the War was fought I 
was a South Carolinian thoroughly imbued. I went 
down to Sullivan's Island in the boat which bore the 
orders of General Beaureguard to open fire on Fort 
Sumter and stayed behind the battery and along the 
beach until Major Anderson's garrison, who fought like 
heroes, mounted the battlement and threw up their hands 
in surrender. I received from President Davis a com- 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 27 

mission as chaplain of the North Georgia Regiment, but 
declined any compensation. . . 

"To breakfast at ten o'clock is not very usual in camp, 
yet the 9th Georgia has been so fashionable to-day. As 
ordered, we left late encampment yesterday morning and 
pitched tents here between Centerville and Fairfax. 
Rain on way, but pleasant meditation on Psalm XXXIV, 
7. Great comfort and sublimity in the things of 
Almighty power and love stretched over the universe, and 
under whose shadow the children of men are allowed to 
trust. After wet time in getting up tent, I had just 
got snugly ensconced between my blankets when horse- 
men rode rapidly up to staff tents, and soon I heard 
from guard : 'We are ordered off.' About nine, the 
regiment started with rapid march. Whither, none 
knew; but enough for the soldier, 'A fight on hand.' 
No water, no provisions taken, in excessive haste. Chap- 
lain stopped at door and filled canteen and brought a 
partly eaten pone of stale corn bread. The night black 
and stormy. Rain came down in a flood. Couldn't see 
'hand before the face.' Separated from regiment, let 
horse pilot way, though started and jumped and whirled 
round ever and anon, at what I knew not, and she prob- 
ably as wise. Road to Fairfax C. H. the left, to Fairfax 
Junction right, at intersection; but which the regiment 
would take I had no idea, and had no idea that would 
see road when got to crossing. Fortunately halted there 
by picket, who directed to the right. Soon ran into rear 
of column and all together we tumbled along. I know 
no more expressive word. The road like slime. The 
rain unabated, the darkness above, the same because it 
could not be blacker. Men tumble down and walked 
upon ; shoes drawn off by mud ; several pistols and one 
sword lost. Still the line crowds on to Fairfax Junction, 
where arrive about 1 a. m. after such a march as even 



28 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

the severely taxed 'Ninth' has never had and will prob- 
ably never have again. No one has ever experienced the 
like — seen such a night, had such a march, and, on the 
whole, been in such a press of circumstances. And when 
we arrived the announcement is issued from head- 
quarters : 'No need of regiments. . . . Fight over 
and enemy repulsed.' Next order: 'Take the woods 
and return in morning to camp.' With great difficulty 
fires are kindled. And there we stood all night in rain — 
drenched and searching and looking for the day. Never 
did the light look so beautiful, but the most beautiful of 
sights was our 'camp' again after the remarch, which was 
made in quick time, and the half dry and hungry 9th 
made first for their mess chests, at which they got about 
10 a. m. . . . My thoughts, in that horrible dark- 
ness and storm, were above this world, I hope. The 
glorious wings seemed stretched over me. No thought 
of evil to myself entered my mind. . . Applica- 

tion to War Department for release from Commission 
and permit to preach to the Confederate Troops in South 
Carolina and Georgia. . . Answer next day. 

Another start for old Charleston, where arrived the 15th. 
. . . Began work at Trapman Hospital. . . . 
Sick at home those weeks. . . . Hearing that the 
Morris Street Baptist Church sold for a silver factory — 
think of it ! . I purchased it from the purchaser 

in the name of my Master . . . and opened the 
'Soldiers' Chapel.' . . . Had the happiness of 
preaching to my old regiment, the 9th Georgia. Sta- 
tioned at James Island. The meeting with those war- 
worn men was delightful. Their religious condition is 
most gratifying. Fifty have been converted. Some 
waiting now for baptism. 

"In January, 1872, the news came to me like a flash in 
a cloudless sky that I had been elected Corresponding 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 29 

Secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the 
Southern Baptist Convention. My mind seemed fixed 
that I would never quit my church for any other or for 
any professorship or even any secretaryship. Surely I 
had been well tested in the near twenty years of my 
pastorate. But here was something different ; here was 
perhaps the realizing of all my missionary hopes and 
preparations. . But, per contra, the breaking up 

of our home, the quitting of the church, the tearing away 
from the delightful associations. . . The thought 

was appalling. But I resolved that I would do God's will 
and rejoice in the sacrifice. ... I preached to the 
united churches from Phil. 4:1. . . . Then the 
Lord's Supper was celebrated, then the heart-rending- 
scene. I was made ill. The doctor said I must go to 
bed, but instead I took the train for Richmond as the 
only hope of redeeming my promised acceptance. . . . 
'T went to Richmond in February (1872). The 
family did not come on until June. Two things I always 
thought were needed by a family — a house of their own 
for the living and a 'long home' for the dead. . . . 
I secured a beautiful lot at Hollywood, and not long after 
the purchase we laid to rest there our little Kate. . . . 
I asked God to give me the house on Capitol Street 
(1002) which I frequently passed. It seemed so sub- 
stantial, so quiet, so respectable, so homelike. It was 
bought. . Before the family arrived it was 

thoroughly renovated and furnished. . . Nannie 

and the children were delighted. . . . The people 
were abundantly kind, and now Richmond seems truly 
'our home.' . . . The 'Old First' is a grand church. 
I love my work there, lecturing weekly on the Sabbath - 
school lesson. ... I feel much interest in our Edu- 
cational affairs as a trustee of Hollins Institute, Rich- 
mond College, and the Richmond Female Institute. The 



30 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

University of Virginia has been a standard and a stimu- 
lant which should immortalize Jefferson in the grateful 
memory of the state and country. . . . On the four 
Boards to which I belong there are not a few fine spirits. 
. . . In quitting Charleston and Washington I could 
have found no more delightful and profitable home for 
my family than the beautiful city of seven hills on the 
bank of the romantic and historic James. . . . All, 
beyond necessary and comfortable living, I have given 
away. ... I believe the money accounts of the 
Mission Rooms are kept with absolute precision. My 
rule and direction is that, should death overtake me any 
day, there would be nothing in my affairs as Correspond- 
ing Secretary which would require the least explanation. 
. First meeting of the Board. In reply to the 
president's address I merely said : T have come because 
you called me, and I shall do all I can for the cause of 
missions.' At the public 'designation,' at the Second 
Church, I presented my views more fully. . . . Dr. 
Jeter had said: 'We have called you to think for us.' 
. . . Office in back rooms of the First Baptist Church. 
Later No. 1112 Main Street. . . . Scarcely had I 
entered upon my work before some $6,000 had to be 
raised to get off to China a missionary company of eleven 
or twelve persons. . . . Appeals were made and 
money came, which made me bless God. . . . On 
the heels of this another extra work had to be done. The 
Rome Church must have a chapel. At the Convention 
at Raleigh, N. C, the $20,000 asked for was readily 
secured. ... In my position many things must 
come and die in my breast. I feel called of God to con- 
duct some things between a second part and Him alone. 
Women's Missionary Societies have been organized over 
the country. The Mite Box impressed me when I was a 
little child in the Sabbath school. . . . Dr. Burrows 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 31 

said to me when I took charge of this work : 'How can 
every member of every Baptist Church of the South be 
induced to give something regularly to the cause of 
Foreign Missions?' This I have kept constantly in mind. 
The editing of the Journal saves expense and 
gives me a better opportunity of communicating directly 
with the churches. . . . My sketches of missionaries 
and their work I hoped would quicken the interest of 
the churches, as they did, I believe. . . . My tours 
among the churches are delightful in some respects but 
great crosses in others. The long absence from my 
family and the Mission Rooms is a serious trial. . . . 
1 try to make the missionaries feel that I am one of them. 
They certainly seem like my family — my family in the 
Lord. Their sorrows are my sorrows. Their joys are 
my joys. . . . When I retire from my desk I do not 
retire from my thoughts and longings in reference to this 
great enterprise. . . . 

"Last night two nights' sleep seem to have packed 
themselves into one — so sound and sweet it was. It was 
not dead sleep, but deep slumber full of pleasant visions. 
. . . I told the girls that a complete drama passed 
through my mind during the night which was so vivid 
that I could repeat it. They said playfully : 'That was 
naughty, papa, for Sunday night.' I retorted : 'Perhaps 
the scene opened at five minutes after twelve.' . . . 
To amuse the children I have written out my dramatic 
dream in five scenes of some 650 lines. . . . Several 
attacks of hay fever. Severer the fever, more active the 
brain. Ordinarily I could not have written the drama in 
one day. . . . Laws of society: (1) Courtesy to 
men; (2) Chivalry to women; (3) Tenderness to chil- 
dren; (4) Truth to all. . . . This afternoon and 
evening were seasons of rare enjoyment. About 3 o'clock 
we went on Cecilian Hill [near Mountain Lake], and 



32 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

while we were enveloped in mist the valleys below were 
flooded with light. This view was soon changed into a 
landscape of most exquisite beauty, as mountains and val- 
leys were painted with the most varied azure hues. 
Bowing the head to the ground the prospect was almost 
heavenly; we were bound to it as if by enchantment, and 
wished the whole world could witness it. About sunset we 
ascended Bald Knob. On the west we had the rare view 
of the valley filled with sun-white mist, which seemed a 
picture of the Arctic regions, in the midst of which and 
far below us was a distinct and perfect rainbow. When 
we reached the Knob a dark cloud, fringed with gold, 
covered the sun. Gradually the splendid light poured 
through until suddenly the barrier gave way and the God 
of Day in superlative grandeur burst upon our vision and 
glorified all around with ineffable magnificence. There 
was dead silence. Tears flowed down our cheeks. 
Instinctively we knelt upon this sublime altar, and our 
overflowing hearts were poured out to the Lord of the 
heavens and the earth. . . . Attended Sabbath 
school and spoke to the children. ... I tried to 
preach the sermon to the children to my own soul. 
. . . It is impossible to record my experience of the 
last twenty-four hours — coldness in prayer, indifference 
in reading God's word, deceptions of the devil. . . . 
Yet I cling to Jesus. Away from Him, lost forever. 
. . . My last play day at Mountain Lake. . . . 
I thank God for what Mountain Lake has done for 
me. 

"Resumed my study of Italian. . . . Resolved 
that by God's grace I shall pursue a more thorough and 
more systematic study of the Scriptures. . . . Janu- 
ary 6. Motto for the year: 'Looking Unto Jesus.' 

. . Left home on 4th of February and returned the 
12th of April. I presume I traveled some 4,000 miles 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 33 

and preached some 50 times. . . . Tuesday I go to 
the S. B. C. I know not the future, which seems some- 
times quite shadowy. I go 'looking unto Jesus.' . 
Over $10,000 returned. April 30. Some $4,000 during 
my absence. The amount I labored and prayed for was 
$14,000. Bless God. ... I told Treasurer to tell 
Convention that I had put down my salary to $2,000. 
. . . Received check for $10,000 from a friend for 
missions as a loan with only my name as security. 
. . . My book is finished — the result of the hay-fever 
seasons. . . Sent to Publication Society 'Truth in 

Romance.' Before I die I hope to give a very different 
kind of book to the world. It is boiling in my heart. 
. . . I have begun to work with carpenters' tools with 
my little boy, and am reading the New Testament 
through every 26 days, 10 chapters a day. ... I 
shall not begin to write until I can see the whole book 
through at a glance. The remaining days of the month. 
viz. : the Sundays, I propose to read the Old Testament — 
17 chapters each Sunday. ... In looking over my 
books I find that from 1854 to 1883 I received of the 

Lord on account of income $279,500.98 and 

donated in the time 124,541.39 and 

used for other purposes $154,959.59 

. . . After two months of delight [at Marquette. 
Lake Superior] we turn our faces homeward. . 
Have done little study. Have read several works : 
Agassiz's two series of Geological Sketches, St. Giles' 
Lecture on The Faiths of the World, Mathews on Use 
and Abuse of Words, Alcott's Emerson, Thomas a 
Kempis' Imitation, etc., and prepared address for 200th 
anniversary of the First Church, Charleston, S. C. 



34 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

"The Board has appointed me their Commissioner to 
go to Mexico to investigate the propositions in regard to 
the $150,000 for school purposes. . . . After our 
long and severe struggle we close our books to-day out 
of debt and $144.61 on hand Laus Deo. . . . Have 
preached four times to the hotel company. Hope that 
good has been done. I thank God for the tears I saw last 
Sunday. ... I begin to-morrow my Spanish 
studies with more energy. . . . Have written ap- 
peals for 14 papers. . . . Heavy obligations press 
the Board. . . . It is well not to have committed to 
paper the bitter experiences of the past six months. 

. . On Monday the 5th, T. P. Bell, of South Caro- 
lina, was appointed my assistant. His coming promises 
broader work for the Board. ... In seventy days 
have visited thirty-five cities and done what I could by 
day and by night in the states belonging to the S. B. Con- 
vention. . . To-day I finished 'The Carpenter's 
Son,' the fourth book I have prepared for the press in my 
vacations. . . . After writing 'Finis' to the book, I 
ascended Mt. Agassiz, the second time this season, by 
way of recreation. The view there as a thing of beauty 
is a joy forever. . . . Came here [New York] by 
request, as member of a committee representing some 70 
Foreign Missionary Boards and Societies in England and 
America, to prepare programme for a World's Mission- 
ary Meeting to be held next June in London. . 

L has given me a copy of Thomas a Kempis. 

. Oh, that I had continued to read this sacred wis- 
dom since the days I first became acquainted with the 
work — in the childhood of my religious life. . . . 
February 29, 1888. Fifteenth birthday and beautiful 
presents. Shall I see sweet sixteen? ... I have 
started a 'Decade of Missions from 1880 to 1890' as a 
supplement to my 'History of Foreign Missions.' . . . 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 35 

How changed all of life! October 12th, at 2 a. m., the 
noblest woman of earth went into sleep. ... A 
world with the world's best treasure gone. My earthly- 
light — alas, alas! . . . My earthly joy is to honor 
the memory of this noblest of women, truest of wives, 
most devoted of mothers, and most consecrated of Chris- 
tians. . . Alas, alas ! my dear friend and brother, 
James Boyce, is gone. A prince has fallen in Israel. 
. . . . The present state of our finances would be 
alarming but for two things — the Commission and the 
Divine Promises. . . . Attended the Maryland 
Union. The address at Baltimore was almost 
extemporaneous after roaming for an hour over streets 
in agony of prayer. I committed myself entirely to the 
will of the Spirit, and could no more report what I said 
than I could fly. . . . Unveiling of Lee's statue. A 
day never to be forgotten. One hundred thousand do 
honor to the great chieftain. . . Met a bevy of 
children and tried to teach them what the wisest might 
say every night : 

"Now I lay me down to sleep, ..." 



"September 26, 1893. . . . With the close of the 
last fiscal year of the Foreign Mission Board, the un- 
precedented sum of $150,000 having been raised in com- 
memoration of the Centenary of the Revival of Foreign 
Missions, I felt it my duty to retire from the Secretary- 
ship of the Board. The action of the Board was most 
liberal and fraternal and the separation most loving. 
. . . I recalled that I had given away about one-half 
of the monetary income of my life. . . Elected 

President of the Board of Trustees of the Woman's Col- 
lege. ... I am giving myself to the work of 
languages : Latin. Greek. Hebrew, French. Spanish, 



36 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

German, Italian. In order to revise my Hebrew I am 
preparing a primer in that language. . . . About 8 
or 10 hours a day I devote to these languages. . . 
The prime object I have in view is a more perfect knowl- 
edge of the Scriptures. . . . The trustees want me 
to work for the college as I have done in years gone by. 
. . . To-day have closed my appeals before the 
churches in behalf of the Woman's College . . . 
having spoken on a single Sunday to as many as five 
churches between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. . . . Notes to 
133 persons. ... I agree to go to Baltimore Octo- 
ber 1st. In addition to my teaching I shall have oppor- 
tunity of preaching. . . . Received telegram : 'You 
are invited to accept Bible Chair in Richmond College.' 

. If the Lord will make his servant meet for this 
service, one of the greatest hopes of his life will be real- 
ized. ... It seems but yesterday I began my Bible 
work in Richmond College, and now it is done for the 
session. There remains, however, the examinations. I 
shall put up six blocks with sixty questions. . . . 
Since February 8th I have lectured,, I believe, 150 times. 

. This has been one of the most delightful duties 
of my life. . Richmond, September 25, 1899. 

Began work to-day . . . with satisfaction of hav- 
ing 1,473 pages of lectures prepared during the vacation 
at Casco Bay for my college classes this session. . . . 
September 17, 1900, The Knob, Casco Bay. Alas, how 
time flies ! We have had varied and delightful experi- 
ences. The season has been seasoned by a great storm. 

. The only stay to mind and heart is clinging to 
a personal God. . . The loftiest wisdom is John's 

concluding words of Revelation: 'Come, Lord Jesus.' 
Afton, Va., July 11, 1901. . . . Another session in 
my Bible work at Richmond College. . . . The 
dutv has been delightful to the teacher. . . This 



HENRY ALLEN TUPPER 57 

Afton is one of the most picturesque spots on our Conti- 
nent; has the purest air and dryest climate I know. 
. . . September 21, 1901. At home again. Happy 
as the 'outing' of 99 days was, it is good to be at home 
once more, grateful to God for all of his favors in the 
past and trusting him to the end for grace." 

This is the last entry in the diary and record of his 
life. On March 27, 1902, the spirit of Henry Allen 
Tupper passed from earth to be with God. 



CHARLES FENTON JAMES 
1844-1902 

In October, 1859, John Brown made his famous attack 
of Harper's Ferry. Hon. J. Taylor Ellyson writes that 
in the "John Brown Raid" there was a young man serv- 
ing in a volunteer cavalry company whose name was 
Charles Fenton James. He was fifteen years old, having 
been born in August, 1844. His parents were Robert 
and Winifred James, and Loudoun County, Virginia, was 
his birthplace. In 1861 he helped to organize one of the 
companies that formed the 8th Virginia Regiment. This 
regiment was commanded by Colonel Eppa Hunton, and 
young James, starting as one of the noncommissioned 
officers of his company, before the War was over, after 
successive promotions, had become the captain of his 
command. In the winter of 1864, while in the trenches 
near Petersburg, he made profession of his faith in 
Christ, and was baptized by Rev. R. W. Cridlin. Before 
the War he was a student at an academy near Alexan- 
dria, and in September, 1865, he entered Columbian Col- 
lege, Washington. The next year he entered Richmond 
College, being the first student on the ground after the 
War. He is said to have been the originator of the 
"mess-hall" system that has been a blessing so many 
years to so many. In 1870 he took his Bachelor of Arts 
degree. He next studied at the Southern Baptist Theo- 
logical Seminary at Greenville, S. C. Rev. C. A. Wood- 
son, who was a student at Greenville with James, says of 
him: "I was struck, at our first meeting, with his fine 
face, manly form, and his quiet dignity. He was dis- 
tinguished for his painstaking investigation of anything 

38 



CHARLES FENTON JAMES 39 

that claimed his attention; had a wonderful power of 
analysis and a rare faculty of weighing testimony." 

His first pastorate, which began in 1873, was at 
Buchanan, Va. While he was their pastor the Buchanan 
Church built the substantial brick meeting-house in which 
they are still worshiping. Besides his work in the town 
of Buchanan, he had, during these ten years, as part of 
his field, these churches: Jennings Creek, Natural 
Bridge, North Prospect (Bedford County). In 1883 he 
left Buchanan to become pastor of the church at Cul- 
peper. The Baptist Church in Culpeper is on the 
spot where the old jail stood in which James Ireland was 
imprisoned. So it was not strange that Mr. James, with 
his capacity for patient investigation, and with the spirit 
of a general, should have been led into a discussion as to 
the part of Virginia Baptists in the struggle for religious 
liberty. The articles which he wrote in this debate led 
to his writing his "Documentary History of the Struggle 
for Religious Liberty in Virginia." It is probable that 
this discussion in the Herald and this book will perpetu- 
ate his name longer than anything else he did. 

This discussion came about on this wise. In March, 
1886, he preached to his church three sermons on "The 
Mission of the Baptists." In one of these sermons he 
said that "at the date of the Revolution the Baptists were 
the only denomination of Christians which, as such, held 
to the idea of religious liberty, and that, of the political 
leaders of that day, James Madison and Thomas Jeffer- 
son were chiefly instrumental in establishing that princi- 
ple in the laws of our land." On May 29, 1886, he 
repeated this sermon at Flint Hill at a Ministers' and 
Deacons' Meeting. In the Herald, of June 24, 1886, there 
appeared a report of an address delivered by the Hon. 
Wm. Wirt Henry before the American Historical Asso- 
ciation. In this address Mr. Henry told of Virginia's 



40 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

leadership in bringing in religious liberty, but made no 
allusion to the Baptists, and said it was "under the 
leadership of Patrick Henry that religious liberty has 
been established as a part of the fundamental law of our 
land." As no one else took issue with this address, and 
as its statements were just the opposite of those made in 
his sermons, Mr. James decided to challenge Mr. Henry's 
assertions. A lengthy discussion in the columns of the 
Herald, between Mr. James and Mr. Henry, followed. 
In the course of this discussion Mr. James searched for 
and examined for himself "all available sources of 
information concerning the struggle for religious liberty 
in Virginia." He went "back of Howell's 'Early Bap- 
tists of Virginia' to the sources from which he and others 
had drawn their information — to the Journal of the Vir- 
ginia House of Burgesses, or General Assembly, and to 
the writings of those who participated in the struggle." 
The discussion in the Herald might have continued 
longer than it did, but the editors decided that it must 
close. The investigations begun by Dr. James (he re- 
ceived the degree of D. D. while he was in Culpeper) in 
this controversy were continued by him during his whole 
residence in Culpeper, his proximity to the Congressional 
Library and the State Library in Richmond making these 
researches the more easy. He copied all that he could 
find bearing on the question in hand, setting down the 
book and the page. After more than ten years the 
documentary evidence as to this struggle for religious 
liberty and the share of the Baptists in it was presented 
to the world by Dr. James in the book already mentioned. 
In Dr. James' opinion this book was "not a history in the 
usual sense of the word, but rather a compilation — a 
grouping together of evidence and authorities, so that 
the reader may see and judge for himself." The book is 
intended to furnish "the careful and painstaking student 



CHARLES FENTON JAMES 41 

of history a reliable text-book for the study of one of 
the most important of the great battles that have been 
fought for human rights and have marked the progress 
of the human race." 

From Culpeper Dr. James moved to Roanoke to 
become the principal of Alleghany Institute, an academy 
for boys. The session of 1888-89 was his first in Roan- 
oke, and that of 1891-92 marked the beginning of his 
work as the president of Roanoke Institute, Danville. 
Here he remained till death called him hence. In the 
face of great difficulties he set the school on its feet as 
an institution of high grade. With his college work he 
linked his service for country churches in reach of Dan- 
ville. He loved the country churches and to work with 
and for them. During these years he preached to Mill 
Creek, Ringgold, and Mt. Zion Churches, all in the Roan- 
oke Association. In this Association he exerted a most 
blessed influence, being the moderator of the body at the 
time of his death. 

He was a man of unflinching moral and physical 
courage. "What a great soldier he would have made! 
He would not have been the tactician, but the strategist, 
who plans his movements on a large scale. He belonged 
to the same general type as Lee, Grant, Von Moltke. He 
did his thinking in blocks. His life moved upon straight 
lines of candor, openness, and courage. He had genuine 
and thorough culture. His friendship was stalwart and 
loyal. His powers of debate, his able contributions to 
the papers, his works as author and educator, made his a 
commanding figure in our Baptist ranks." 

He was married on October 28, 1873, to Miss Mary 
Alice Chamblin, of Loudoun County, Virginia. She sur- 
vived him, living until September 8, 1912. Their chil- 
dren are : Mayo C. James, Mrs. Julian Jordan, Charles 
Rdward James, Mrs. N. A. Lavender, John W. James, 



42 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

and Robert L. James. His death was sudden. Prof. Geo. 
Swann was called in to see him Wednesday afternoon, 
December 3 ; he complained of having a strange sensa- 
tion. He never rallied, dying about three o'clock on the 
morning of the 5th of December, 1902. The funeral was 
conducted by Dr. T. B. Thames, assisted by Dr. W. E. 
Hatcher and Rev. Wm. Hedley. On June 8, 1903, a 
tablet in his honor was unveiled in the Roanoke Institute 
chapel. The inscription contained these words : "Ardent 
patriot, brave soldier, loyal friend, devout Christian, 
diligent student, able minister, skilful educator, true in 
all the relations of life." 



ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER RICE 
1824-1902 

Archibald Alexander Rice was born in Petersburg, 
Va., July 7, 1824. His father was Rev. Dr. Benjamin 
Holt Rice, a distinguished Presbyterian clergyman. His 
mother was Martha Alexander, a daughter of Wm. 
Alexander and a sister of Dr. Archibald Alexander (who 
was president of Hampden-Sidney College and professor 
at Princeton), and an aunt of James Waddel Alexander 
and Joseph Addison Alexander (both professors at 
Princeton). His father being for many years the pastor 
of the Presbyterian Church at Princeton, he spent his 
boyhood and student days in the classic shades of this 
venerable seat of learning, graduating first in the college, 
on August 14, 1842, and four years later in the Theo- 
logical Seminary. Here also he was licensed to the 
ministry, but after some eight years of missionary work 
in Southampton County, Virginia, becoming convinced 
that he was not called to preach, the study of medicine 
was taken up and pursued until a diploma from the Jef- 
ferson Medical College, Philadelphia, was won. He 
became professor in the Kentucky School of Medicine, 
which position he held until 1861. 

While Dr. Rice preached more or less up to the very 
end of his life, he was never a pastor of any church, and 
his life work was that of the physician. During the 
War, as a surgeon in the Confederate Army, he held 
various positions of trust and had many exciting and not 
a few amusing experiences. Once he made a very nar- 
row escape from arrest by Federal officers in a hospital 
in Kentucky; once he was virtually in control of the 

43 



44 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

whole city of Chattanooga for something like twenty- 
four hours. This experience in Chattanooga was in the 
spring of 1862. Johnson's army was retreating through 
Tennessee ; affairs in Chattanooga were in a demoralized 
state; Dr. Rice, acting on his own responsibility, took 
charge; he went to work in an improvised hospital, 
issued orders for food to be cooked by private citizens, 
took wood and other necessary things, and gave orders 
on the government for the pay. After the War, he was 
connected with a medical school in Kentucky, and then 
settled in the Bruington neighborhood, King and Queen 
County, where he practiced his profession for a long 
series of years. About 1880 he moved to Appomattox 
County and settled near the Hebron Baptist Church. 
Here he came to be the "beloved physician," because the 
people counted him a past master in his profession, 
because they believed in the man, and because, notwith- 
standing his age, calls from far and near, whatever the 
weather might be, were answered. One horse, an excel- 
lent animal, served him these last twelve years and was 
led, with the empty buggy, just behind the corpse in the 
funeral procession. 

"And after him lead his masterless steed." 

A young physician, now in the United States Navy, 
having met Dr. Rice and talked with him about profes- 
sional matters, remarked to a friend : "I would let that 
man do anything to me." During the early months of 
1897, the Hebron pastor being in Europe, Dr. Rice filled 
the pulpit, greatly delighting the people by his sermons, 
some of which were talked about in the neighborhood for 
months. He was kind to brother preachers, and they 
and others were warmly welcomed and entertained in his 
home, which was one of the most hospitable. 



ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER RICE 45 

Dr. Rice was a Presbyterian until after he went to live 
in King and Queen County. Once when Rev. Dr. A. E. 
Dickinson urged him to take the Herald and said : "Some 
day you will be a Baptist," Dr. Rice replied : "No, sir, 
every bone in me would cry out against me." When, 
however, his daughter Nellie was born, there being no 
Presbyterian Church near at hand where he could have 
her sprinkled, he was led to examine the Scriptures on 
the question of baptism, with the result that he became 
a Baptist. He was baptized in 1872 by Rev. Dr. Chas. 
H. Ryland, becoming a member of the Bruington Church, 
and on November 18, 1877, was ordained at this church. 

Dr. Rice was married twice, his first wife being Miss 
Eleanor W. Nash, , and his second, who, with one 
daughter, Lizzie, survived him. Miss Mary C. Haynes. 
He died December 19, 1902. and was buried in the 
Hebron Church graveyard. 



NOAH CALTON BALDWIN 

1817-1903 

For nearly six decades this man of God preached the 
gospel, as pastor and evangelist, throughout the counties 
of Washington and Smyth, reaching at times into 
Wythe. Originally this was the territory of the old 
Washington Association that was anti-missionary heart 
and soul. Finally, in 1845, some of the churches of this 
body withdrew, as they no longer held these narrow 
missionary views, and organized the Lebanon Associa- 
tion; in this movement Mr. Baldwin was the leader. 
When this separation took place the anti-missionary sec- 
tion numbered 1,100 and the seceders 500; to-day the 
old Washington Association has fewer churches with a 
much smaller membership than at the time of the division, 
while the Lebanon Association has 43 churches with 
about 4,000 members, and after its organization it dis- 
missed about half its churches to form the New Lebanon 
Association. His leadership cost him no little persecu- 
tion. Concerning this period of his life he says in his 
diary: "I considered it my duty to disseminate all the 
information I could on the subject of missions, and to 
urge the churches, and the association to which they 
belonged, to united action in regard to those benevolent 
enterprises which have distinguished the Baptists 
throughout the world. For doing this I was much perse- 
cuted, called a money hunter and divider of churches. 
Finally I was dismissed, rather withdrew, from the 
pastorate of St. Clair's Bottoms Church on account of 
its hostility to the missionary cause." 

He was born September 30, 1817, in Piney Creek 
Valley, then in Ashe County (but now in Alleghany 
County), North Carolina. His father was Enoch 
Baldwin, the son of Rev. Elisha Baldwin, and his mother 

46 



NOAH C ALTON BALDWIN 47 

Esther Baker, whose uncle, Rev. Andrew Baker, was a 
preacher of considerable notoriety in North Carolina. 
Although Enoch Baldwin and his wife were not able to 
give their children large educational advantages, three 
months a year being about all the schooling they received, 
the religious impressions they made upon their children 
were good, and two of the sons became ministers. After 
having "turned a deaf ear to the requisitions of the 
gospel," in May, 1838, young Baldwin's "sleepy soul 
was awakened in a most powerful manner to a sense of 
its danger." It was not, however, until he had decided 
to preach that he really rejoiced in Jesus. On his twenty- 
first birthday, at Mt. Zion, Ashe County, he preached 
his first sermon. Not long after his ministry began he 
left the Methodist Church and became a Baptist, since 
he could not bring himself to sprinkle or pour water and 
call it baptism, nor could he administer the ordinance 
to infants. On December 25, 1838, he was married to 
Miss Nancy McMillen, daughter of John and Narcessey 
McMillen, of Ashe County, North Carolina. On the 
first Saturday in October, 1840, he was ordained, the 
presbytery being composed of Elders D. Senter and 
N. M. Senter. The same fall he moved to Smyth 
County, Virginia. In this section he spent the rest of his 
life. 

After his trouble with the anti-missionary brethren, he 
became a missionary of the State Mission Board of Vir- 
ginia, working in the general section covered to-day by 
the Lebanon and New Lebanon Associations. In 1852 
his report to the General Association of his work in 
Washington, Smyth, and Wythe Counties showed that 
he had baptized 5 1 during the year, and that the churches 
he had served had become sufficiently strong to need no 
longer the help of the Board. In the course of his long- 
ministry he was pastor of the following churches : Middle 
Fork, Friendship, Marion, Sugar Grove, South Fork, 
Greenfield, Glade Spring, Mountain View, Maiden's 



48 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Spring, Abingdon, St. Clair's Bottoms, his service for the 
first-named church extending over almost thirty-three 
years. Four of these churches, namely, Marion, Glade 
Spring, Friendship, and Greenfield, were largely the 
result of his work, and were organized by him. In many 
ways he was a leader ; for example, with Rev. J. T. Kin- 
cannon, in 1867, he consummated plans for the publica- 
tion of a paper known as The Landmark Banner. In 
evangelistic work he was successful, going far and wide, 
and leading many to Christ. As a debater he was logical 
and fair, being willing to examine fully and frankly the 
position of his opponent. His mind was vigorous. In 
the presentation of his views he was clear and convinc- 
ing. His address was frank and impressive. His 
presence was commanding, his physique being very fine. 
He was seldom sick. His devotion to his calling as a 
minister of the gospel knew no bounds. As a pastor of 
churches he rarely ever missed an appointment. Frank- 
ness and candor marked his intercourse with the people 
he served. He was of the stuff of which martyrs are 
made; he would have gone down under persecution 
rather than yield one inch in his contention for the "faith 
once delivered to the saints." One gets quite a picture 
of the man and of the days of his great activity upon 
hearing that in 1846 he rode on horseback from Marion 
to Richmond, a distance of three hundred miles, to attend 
the General Association and the second meeting of the 
Southern Baptist Convention. He was married four 
times, but no one of these unions was blessed with chil- 
dren. He died, on January 14, 1903, from a tumor on 
his lip, and his body was buried, by his request, beside 
his second wife, in the Anderson Cemetery, Adwolfe, 
Smyth County, Virginia. Some time after his burial, 
on August 16, his funeral sermon was preached, accord- 
ing to his wish, by Rev. J. T. Kincannon, at Friendship 
Church, Washington County, from the text, II Tim. 
4:7-8. 



JOSEPH FRANKLIN DEANS 

1839-1903 

The counties of Norfolk, Nansemond, Isle of Wight, 
and Southampton, all in Tidewater Virginia, formed the 
arena where Joseph Franklin Deans passed his life and 
did his work. Near Churchland, in the first-named 
county, he was born, of "respectable and well-to-do 
parents," March 20, 1839. During the days of his 
youth at Churchland he attended school, Mr. Josiah 
Ryland being his teacher, went to Sunday school and 
church, was converted, and baptized. When he set out 
for college he was making his first journey away from 
home and out into the world. Columbian College gave 
him, in 1859, his Bachelor of Arts diploma, and seven 
years later the Master of Arts degree. Richmond Col- 
lege gave him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. 
While a student at Columbian he was licensed to preach, 
and in 1862 he became a chaplain in the Confederate 
Army. After his ordination, in 1865, the War being- 
over, he was pastor, for a brief season, at Weldon, N. C. 
In 1866 he became pastor of Northwest, Norfolk County, 
and at the meeting of the Portsmouth Association that 
year, at Beaver Dam, he preached the introductory 
sermon. Later he was clerk of this body, and for five 
sessions its moderator. In 1869 his three years' pastor- 
ate of the Bainbridge Street Church, Manchester, began. 
On October 3, 1872, he was married to Miss Bettie 
Lightfoot Poindexter, and the following spring he went 
as a supply to the Staunton Church while the pastor, 
Dr. Geo. Boardman Taylor, was engaged in the "Memo- 
rial Year" work. Dr. Taylor alluded to this event in his 
Jubilee sermon at Staunton, in 1903, saying: "The Rev. 

49 



50 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

J. F. Deans, a brother combining in a rare degree sweet- 
ness with dignity and force of character, bringing his 
young bride, came here as my supply." 

After Manchester and Staunton he returned to the 
section which was, as already suggested, the field of his 
life work. During the thirty years that followed he was 
pastor, first and last, of the following churches : Berkley 
Avenue, Smithfield, South Quay, Great Fork, Western 
Branch, Black Creek. Whitehead's Grove, Tucker 
Swamp, Windsor, Ivor. One of these churches, White- 
head's Grove, he served for twenty-seven years, and at 
the end of the twenty-fifth year the church did honor to 
their pastor by a day of fellowship and of congratula- 
tions, ministers of other denominations and from a dis- 
tance being among the speakers. 

In 1878 Mr. A. H. Ashburn invited Mr. Deans to 
open an academy at Windsor, a village on the Norfolk 
and Western Railway between Petersburg and Norfolk. 
This invitation, which was accepted, led to a new sphere 
of influence and power. The academy, for young men 
and young women, was established, Mr. Ashburn fur- 
nishing the necessary financial support. When Thomas 
Arnold was a candidate for the head-mastership of 
Rugby, one testimonial to the trustees said that if he 
were elected "he would change the face of education all 
through the public schools of England." It is, perhaps, 
not going too far to say that the influence for good of 
Windsor Academy and its head was felt all through that 
section of the State. The words of Rev. J. Theodore 
Bowden, a Windsor Academy "boy," show, in part, the 
work of the school and the spirit of its principal. In a 
tribute to Dr. Deans, in the Religious Herald of March 
5, 1903, Mr. Bowden wrote : "I want to speak a few 
words about Dr. J. F. Deans as the young man's friend. 
There was nothing that gave him greater 



JOSEPH FRANKLIN DEANS 51 

pleasure than to help poor, struggling boys. He sought 
more ways and found more opportunities to bless 
humanity in this way than any man I ever knew. There 
are ministers, physicians, lawyers, merchants, and almost 
every class of business men, who can rise up and call him 
blessed. I well remember twelve years ago when he 
took me from my father's home on the farm and put me 
in his academy. I had no money, but because of my 
willingness to do what I could in looking after the school 
buildings and going on errands about his home he per- 
mitted me to stay in his school three years. During all 
this time never did he permit me to want for one needed 
thing. When the time came for me to enter Richmond 
College he opened the way and took a father's interest in 
my welfare. More than once did I have him to come 
into my room, while on his visits to the city, and take 
from his pocket his book and write me a check sufficient 
to settle all of my indebtedness." Windsor Academy 
sent, as the years came and went, a large number of 
young men, and well prepared, too, to Richmond College. 
The hour for his departure came suddenly. His wife 
was away from home, at the bedside of her sister, who 
was extremely ill. On Tuesday he was very busy and 
apparently perfectly well. Before retiring he complained 
of some pain, but was relieved by a physician. At two 
o'clock the next morning, February 4, 1903, he called his 
son, and in a little while he was dead. A special car 
attached to the train known as the "cannon ball" carried 
the body and a great company of friends to Bruce Sta- 
tion, on the Atlantic Coast Line, from which place 
Churchland was reached by private conveyances. Here 
the funeral and burial took place, the following ministers 
having part in the service : W. V. Savage, J. K. Goode, 
C. W. Duke, J. J. Taylor, A. B. Dunaway, W. F. Fisher, 
L. E. Barton, J. M. Pilcher, A. E. Owen, W. P. Hines, 



52 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

E. E. Dudley, and W. A. Snyder. He was survived by 
his wife, a daughter, Ethel, and a son, Parke. 

Rev. Dr. J. M. Pilcher, who was for twenty years a 
close friend of Dr. Deans, says of him: "As pastor, 
teacher, and citizen he was preeminent, not only in 
church and school and community, but also in all the 
region around. When the people of Isle of Wight 
County offered him a seat in the Constitutional Conven- 
tion he was gratified by their high estimate of him and 
courteously declined. When they demanded the service 
of him he was embarrassed and came to my home to con- 
sult me. We took time to look at every phase of the 
question, and he left me with a firm purpose not to accept 
the honor, and publicly declared his decision. . . . 
On another occasion we consulted in regard to his giving 
up the academy in order to devote more time to his 
churches. I insisted that the work already done in the 
education, elevation, refinement, and culture of the young 
people of the adjoining counties, to say nothing of the 
conversion to Christ of so many of them while they were 
in his school, demanded that he should not 

throw away this great part of his ministerial work." 



JABEZ LAMAR MONROE CURRY* 

1825-1903 

The State of Alabama has placed in one of the two 
niches assigned to her in the Statuary Hall of the Capitol 
at Washington, a marble statue of Jabez Lamar Monroe 
Curry. Yet not in Alabama, but in Georgia, did he first 
see the light. As the name suggests, "Dark Corner," 
that part of Lincoln County where he was born, on Sun- 
day, June 5, 1825, was rather famous for its lawlessness. 
His parents, who were Wm. Curry and Susan Winn, of 
Scotch and Welsh extraction respectively, gave their 
second child a name which oppressed him as he grew 
older and which he eventually modified, for at first his 
second name was Lafayette and not Lamar. His mother 
died when he was quite young, but his stepmother seems 
to have done a good part by him. The importance of 
education was fully realized by the father, for his chil- 
dren were started to school at a very tender age, and later 
he wanted Lamar to go to Germany to complete his 
preparation for life's work. At the age of four Lamar 
entered a school whose teacher, Mr. Josh Fleming, was 
respected by his pupils, even if they did duck him once 
in order to secure a desired holiday ; in this function 
Lamar, though young and small, bore his part. His next 
teacher, named Vaughan, was from Maine, it being quite 
common in those days for pedagogues to come to the 
South from the New England States. In 1833 the stars 
fell, and young Curry left home to attend school at 

*Much of the information used in this sketch is derived from 
■'J- L- M. Curry : A Biography," by Edwin Anderson Alderman 
and Armistead Churchill Gordon. The Macmillan Co., New York, 
1911. Price, $2.00. Grateful acknowledgment is made to this book 
to which the reader is referred for a fuller and charming record of 
Dr. Curry's interesting and inspiring life. 

53 



54 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Lincolnton, the county-seat, where he lived with his 
grandmother. His teacher at this place was Rev. Mr. 
McKerley, a Presbyterian minister. Here, at the wed- 
ding of a Miss Lamar, the iced cakes set in a row to dry- 
made a great impression on the boy from "Dark Corner," 
and at this wedding, while sitting on the fence with some 
other boys and peeling a turnip, he cut his hand so 
severely that he carried the scar through life. The next 
year he was sent over to Willington, S. C, to a school 
conducted for many years, first by Rev. Moses Waddell 
and then by his sons. Here many famous men, among 
the number Jno. C. Calhoun, Augustus Baldwin Long- 
street (author of "Georgia Scenes"), James Bowie 
(inventor of the deadly knife that bears his name), 
George McDuffie, and James Lewis Petigru, received 
their early training. At sunrise the master blew a horn, 
the boys in the neighboring homes answering on their 
horns. After prayers the scholars dispersed to the 
woods to study, seeking shade if the weather was warm, 
building fires of faggots if it was cold. Next, young 
Curry and his brother were kept at home and sent to 
school at Double Branches not far away, the teacher, 
one Daniel W. Finn, being an Irishman and a Catholic. 
At Double Branches he heard his first "missionary" 
sermon, the preacher being Rev. Dr. C. D. Mallory, a 
distinguished Baptist minister. His parents were not 
Christians; he never went to a Sunday school until 
he was married, and he seems to have had no deep 
early religious convictions. His father was a prosperous 
farmer and merchant, and, after the manner of country 
boys, Lamar, with negroes of his own age, spent many 
an hour at night hunting coons and 'possums. In 1838 
his father moved to Kelly Springs, Talladega County, 
Alabama. This journey of some two hundred miles 
by private conveyance was a great event in the life 



JABEZ LAMAR MONROE CURRY 55 

of the growing boy. He never forgot his first sight of 
the mountains which this trip gave him, or the howling 
of the wolves around the camp from night to night. In 
his new home he helped his father in the post-office 
attached to the store, and sometimes went with the 
wagons to YVetumpka, a trip that took many days. 
Again the boy was at school, and from his own early edu- 
cational experiences two convictions that went with him 
through life seem to have arisen. He felt that in his own 
training the classics had been emphasized to the neglect 
of English branches. Years afterwards he inaugurated 
at Richmond College one of the first, if not the first, 
courses of English offered at any American college. In 
these early days boys and girls were together in school. 
and he was through life a strong advocate of coeduca- 
tion. 

In 1839 he entered Franklin College (now the Uni- 
versity of Georgia) at Athens. He occupied Room No. 
23. He was an enthusiastic member of the Phi Kappa 
Debating Society, where his training in public speaking- 
was invaluable. During his life at Athens he began to 
visit young ladies. His first experience in this line, he 
afterwards declared, was a more severe ordeal than going 
into a battle. The blessing to him of such companionship 
was so great that when in later years he was a teacher 
of young men at Richmond College he urged them to 
visit the young ladies, and would even excuse a student 
who was "not prepared" if he had been to see one of the 
fair sex. His last years at college were characterized 
by very hard work. He feared that his trouble with 
mathematics would prevent his graduation, but deter- 
mined effort won the day. He next turned his steps 
toward Harvard, though afterward he was sorry that 
he had not followed his father's wishes and gone to 
Germany. In his law studies at Harvard he sat at the 



56 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

feet of Judge Story (then of the Supreme Court) and 
Simon Greenleaf, who was scarcely less famous. What 
intellectual stimulus young Curry found in Cambridge 
and Boston, since Longfellow was one of the professors, 
Lowell an editor, Webster to be heard at Faneuil Hall, 
Theodore Parker at his church, and Charlotte Cushman 
and other great actors at the theater ! One of his fellow- 
students at Harvard was Rutherford B. Hayes, who, in 
1876, became President of the United States. Mr. Curry 
received his B. L. in February, 1845. Upon his return 
home, he began to read law in the office of Mr. Samuel 
W. Rice, in Talladega, at the same time writing editorials 
for the JVatchtowcr, visiting the ladies, attending a 
debating society, and going every Saturday night to his 
home only six miles away. But the sound of war gave 
pause to the study of the law, and Mr. Curry, with 
several others, set out for the scene of the war with 
Mexico, on their own account, in the Duane, a vessel so 
unseaworthy that shortly after they disembarked it sank 
in the harbor. In 1850 Mr. Curry undertook the 
management of a plantation, but soon found that he liked 
books better than directing farm labor. He was admitted 
to the bar, and so began an important period of his life. 
Political life, however, rather than the practice of law, 
appealed to Mr. Curry. He was popular as a speaker, 
his youthful appearance and slight figure adding to this 
popularity. The burning question of the day was 
whether slavery should be allowed in the territories and 
its area extended. Mr. Curry took no uncertain stand. 
Perhaps his political convictions may be epitomized by 
saying that he was a disciple of John C. Calhoun. So 
deep were his convictions on the great doctrines of States' 
rights and local self-government that to the end of life 
they remained practically unchanged. In 1847 he was 
elected to the Alabama legislature. Again in 1853 and 



JABEZ LAMAR MONROE CURRY 57 

in 1855 this honor was conferred upon him. His farm- 
ing, alluded to above, seems to have filled in one of the 
intervals in his public career. In the legislature he 
always voted for measures that favored education, and 
he introduced a bill that led to a geological survey of 
the state. In 1855 he opposed with success the Know- 
Nothing Party, carrying his county by 255 votes. In 
1857 he was a Presidential elector on the Buchanan 
ticket, and in 1857 and 1859 was elected to Congress. It 
is interesting to look upon this young man as he appeared 
in Congress for the first time. "He was of splendid 
physique, with a cast of features and an expression of 
countenance so marked by manly ingenuousness and 
honor, yet indicative of conscious strength and self- 
reliance, that even his political enemies were conciliated 
and disposed to hear him with favor." Nor was he 
unknown as an orator and statesman. He had "a voice 
full, clear, and of wonderful compass. Quick in percep- 
tion and accurate in discrimination; fluent, choice, and 
classic in his language ; in manner, deliberate and self- 
possessed, yet fervid and impassioned in his feelings and 
impulses, trained in the severe methods of the schools 
and especially equipped for the great duties that lay 
before him; loving the whole country, but his State and 
section with a warmth not far short of Eastern idolatry, 
he was full ready, we may easily believe, to spring at a 
bound into the very front rank as a champion of the 
South." He delivered his first speech February 23, 1858. 
The New York Tribune recognized him as "a powerful 
addition to the proslavery side of the House." He made 
a speech in which he opposed the granting of pensions, 
as involving a dangerous principle. Years afterward he 
wrote for the Religious Herald an article in which he 
showed the danger of creating a pauper class by careless 
charity, and the evil of giving public money to religious 



58 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

denominations, but contended that the support of public 
schools was no violation of this law. In another speech 
he opposed the publication of the Congressional Globe as 
a wrong use of public money. He never lost an oppor- 
tunity "to impress his convictions concerning political or 
moral righteousness and truth upon the minds of those 
with whom he came in contact." While in Congress he 
was faithful in his life as a Christian and a Baptist. At 
the age of 21 he had been baptized into the fellowship 
of the Lebanon Baptist Church, Coosa River Association, 
by Rev. Dr. Samuel Henderson. In Washington he was 
a regular attendant of the E Street Baptist Church ; in 
Congress "he was punctual in attendance and alert and 
painstaking in his attention to the public matters which 
came before the House." His correspondence was 
heavy, and in those days Congressmen had no clerks. 
When, in 1861, the Southern States seceded, Mr. 
Curry promptly withdrew from Congress and cast his lot 
with his State and his section of the country. On Janu- 
ary 7, 1861, when the Alabama Convention met in Mont- 
gomery, he was on the platform. On January 11 the 
Convention adopted the ordinance of secession, and on 
January 21 he sent to the speaker of the House of 
Representatives the announcement of his withdrawal. 
He was a member of the provisional Confederate Con- 
gress that met in Montgomery, and of the first permanent 
Congress meeting in Richmond. His deep conviction 
that the War should go on led to his defeat at a subse- 
quent election, when his opponent, in still-hunt, advo- 
cated peace. His loyalty to his State never faltered, and 
now, although military life did not appeal to him, he 
entered the army. Here he displayed courage and under- 
went hardship for his country. Once he left his wife, 
who was sick, to go to the battlefield ; he never saw her 
again ; the rumor that he had been killed is said to have 



JABEZ LAMAR MONROE CURRY 59 

hastened her death. In various capacities, as cavalry 
officer, as aide to several leading generals, as commis- 
sioner under the Habeas Corpus Act, he served his 
country. He was brought into especially close touch 
with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, whom, as a disciplinarian 
and tactician, he believed was without a superior in the 
Confederate Army. 

With the close of the War a distinctly new period 
began in Curry's life. In November, 1865, he was elected 
President of Howard College. The following January 
he was ordained to the gospel ministry, and in June, 
1867, he was married to Miss Mary Wortham Thomas, 
of Richmond, Virginia, a daughter of James Thomas, Jr. 
After a struggle for several years to set Howard Col- 
lege well on its feet, a struggle carried on in the face of 
all of the horrors of the Reconstruction Period in the 
far South, Mr. Curry decided, for the sake of his family, 
consisting of his wife and Sue and Manly (children of 
his first wife), to leave Alabama and move to Richmond, 
Va. A little before his ordination he had preached what 
he called his first regular sermon, and later had helped 
Dr. J. J. D. Ren f roe, who was his pastor and his bosom 
friend, in a protracted meeting. He loved to preach at 
times, he declared, but did not feel impelled to become a 
regular pastor, though by 1877 he had been invited to 
pastorates in Selma, Montgomery, Mobile, Atlanta, 
Augusta, Wilmington, Raleigh, New Orleans, Memphis, 
St. Louis, San Francisco, Louisville, Norfolk, Richmond, 
Baltimore, New York, Boston, and Brooklyn. Upon the 
reorganization of Richmond College, in 1866, Mr. Curry 
was invited to become its president. This position he 
declined, but in 1868 he accepted the Chair of English in 
that institution. Before his connection with Richmond 
College ceased he had filled, for a season, and in con- 
nection with his other work, the Chair of Philosophy and 



60 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

that of Constitutional and International Law. It would 
be hard to speak too highly of Dr. Curry's work at Rich- 
mond College. He was most popular among the stu- 
dents, and his influence upon them as regards their study, 
their ideals, their lives, was inspirational, enlarging and 
uplifting in a most wonderful way. His college duties 
by no means completed the sphere of his service to his 
denomination, the State, and the country. He was a 
leader among Virginia Baptists, taking an active part in 
the Memorial Campaign for the endowment of Rich- 
mond College, in 1873, and proving himself the champion 
of the great causes of education and foreign missions 
by his eloquent addresses at district associations and 
other gatherings all over the State. Before a great 
throng of people, on the campus of Richmond College, in 
June, 1873. he delivered a memorable address on the 
struggles of Virginia Baptists for religious liberty. The 
same year an address on much the same subject before 
the Evangelical Alliance of the World offended many, 
but was clear evidence of his willingness to proclaim and 
advocate the truth anywhere. Work awaited him in 
every direction, and it is scarcely possible to chronicle 
here all the varied forms of his energetic and versatile 
service. He was the admirable moderator of the Vir- 
ginia Baptist General Association for five years, and for 
twelve years the President of the Foreign Mission Board 
of the Southern Baptist Convention. Upon all manner 
of public occasions he was in demand for sermons, 
addresses, and speeches, his matchless oratory always 
thrilling the crowds. During the "Readjuster" fight in 
the seventies he strongly championed the payment of 
the debt, and in defense of this proposition delivered, 
upon the request of many leading citizens of Richmond, 
an address at Mozart Hall entitled "Law and Morals," 
and later discussed the issue of the day in various parts 



JABEZ LAMAR MONROE CURRY 61 

of the State. Dr. Curry regarded this address at Mozart 
Hall as one of the best efforts of his life. 

In 1881 Dr. Curry was elected Agent of the Peabody 
Fund. In 1866 Mr. George Peabody gave $3,000,000 
to be used to promote education in the South. The 
administration of this Fund was committed to a self- 
perpetuating Board of sixteen. To read the names of 
the sixteen men originally composing the Board, and 
to remember that first and last four presidents of the 
United States were members of this Board, gives 
undoubted evidence of the dignity and ability of this 
body. The original sixteen members were : Hon. Robert 
C. Winthrop, Hon. .Hamilton Fish, Bishop Chas. P. 
Mcllwaine, General U. S. Grant, Admiral D. G. Farra- 
gut, Hon. John H. Clifford, Hon. William L. Evarts, 
Hon. Wm. C. Rives, Gen. William Aiken, Hon. William 
A. Graham, Charles Macalester, Esq., Geo. W. Riggs, 
Esq., Edward A. Bradford, Esq., George N. Eaton, Esq., 
George Peabody Russell, Samuel Witmore, Esq. Rev. 
Dr. Barnes Sears was the first agent of this Fund. Be- 
fore his death, which took place July 6, 1880, he had 
suggested Dr. Curry as the man of all others to take up 
the work. Dr. Sears had so stimulated State aid to public 
education that before his death "all of the eleven States 
composing the Confederate States had established public- 
school systems, at least on paper." Yet the work to be 
done was only fairly begun. Under Dr. Curry the plans 
of the work were somewhat modified and a large part of 
the appropriations made went for normal schools. Dr. 
Curry spent much of his time and energy traveling all 
over the South, seeking to quicken interest in education 
by his addresses and personal work. He addressed the 
legislature of every Southern State, appearing before 
some of these bodies again and again. He championed 
the cause of the negro as well as that of the white child. 



62 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

showing that to limit the funds for the negro to the reve- 
nue from their taxes would be most unwise. What has 
been already said about Dr. Curry must in a measure 
suggest how admirably qualified he was for this great 
work. As the years passed, the Board realized more 
and more how valuable his services were. A most warm 
friendship grew up between Mr. Winthrop and Dr. 
Curry ; they were devoted to the work they had in hand 
and to each other. Greatly to his surprise, in 1885 
Dr. Curry received, through Thomas F. Bayard, Secre- 
tary of State, the announcement that President Cleveland 
offered him the mission to Spain. 

With no small degree of reluctance did Dr. Curry 
resign a work which appealed to the noblest emotions 
of his being and called into exercise his best powers. As 
for the Board, they so thoroughly believed that the mis- 
sion to Spain would prove a mere interlude in Dr. Curry's 
career, that they appointed one pro tempore to carry on 
the work. The sojourn of Dr. Curry and his wife at the 
court of Madrid was at once most delightful to them and 
of most valuable service to the United States. They 
established a new record for America in the brilliancy 
and charm of their social functions, and came to have a 
real and lasting friendship with the royal family; but 
this was not all. Dr. Curry was able to overcome the 
exasperating procrastination for which the Spanish 
Government is famous and to carry through measures 
of importance touching the commercial relations of the 
two countries that had hung fire for years. So acceptable 
was Dr. Curry both to Spain and the United States in 
the position of ambassador that years later, after his 
return to America, special request came to Washington 
that Dr. Curry should represent our country at the cere- 
monies connected with the coming of age of the Spanish 
King, and Spain's request was granted. 



JABEZ LAMAR MONROE CURRY 63 

After four years in Madrid, Dr. Curry, appointed a 
second time as its agent, took up once more the work of 
the Peabody Fund. This work he prosecuted, with won- 
derful enthusiasm and zeal, practically up to the time of 
his death. On October 30, 1890, Dr. Curry was called 
to be the executive officer of the Slater Fund. The pur- 
pose of the giver of this Fund was much the same as 
that which prompted Mr. Peabody's great gift, save that 
it was exclusively for the education of the negro race. 
For many reasons it was highly fitting that one man 
should represent both of these great benefactions. Space 
does not permit the detailed story of Dr. Curry's rela- 
tion to the General Education Board and to the Southern 
Education Board, bodies which perhaps had scarcely 
more than fairly entered upon their career of usefulness 
when his life closed, and yet it is very remarkable that 
one man should have been associated, as he was, with 
four such organizations. In 1905, after Dr. Curry's 
death, upon the gift by Mr. Rockefeller of $100,000, the 
Curry Memorial School of Education was established at 
the University of Virginia. 

In 1902 Dr. Curry's health began to fail. Yet he went 
on with his work. His physical vigor and endurance had 
been wonderful all through his manhood years and one 
element in his success and far-reaching and varied 
service and usefulness. He was so full of vigor and so 
preserved his youthful spring and hopefulness, that it 
was hard to realize when the end came that he had almost 
reached the Psalmist's extreme limit of fourscore years. 
He passed away on Thursday, February 12, 1903, at the 
residence of his brother-in-law, Col. John A. Connally, 
near Asheville, N. C. The funeral took place in Rich- 
mond, Sunday, February 15, and, in accordance with 
Dr. Curry's wishes, was in the Richmond College Chapel. 
The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Dr. W. C. 
Bitting, of New York, assisted by Drs. C. H. Ryland, 



64 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

George Cooper, and Wm. E. Hatcher. The burial was 
in Hollywood. The grave is near that of Jefferson 
Davis, and not far away are the graves of J. B. Jeter and 
H. H. Harris. Mrs. Curry, who was ill at the time of 
his death, was laid beside him in Hollywood in the brief 
space of three months. 

Dr. Curry, in addition to all his other activities, was 
an author. Not to speak of his contributions to maga- 
zines and papers, the list of his books is as follows: 
"Constitutional Government in Spain," "Life of William 
E. Gladstone," "The Southern States of the American 
Union," "Sketch of George Peabody and a History of 
the Peabody Education Fund Through Thirty Years," 
"Civil History of the Government of the Confederate 
States, With Some Personal Reminiscences." 

Dr. Curry was an orator and a statesman, a man of 
strong convictions, a courteous gentleman, an humble 
Christian, an indefatigable worker, the enthusiastic 
champion of education, a citizen of the world, an ardent 
Southerner, and a most patriotic American. His sympa- 
thies were broad, his spirit at once humble yet ambitious. 
The range of his life — his friendships and his activities — 
was wide. In his day he undertook with great success 
work in many different fields of human endeavor, and 
came into personal touch with a very large number of 
the distinguished men in America and Europe. While 
accustomed to have, during a large part of his life, many 
comforts and even luxuries, still high thinking rather 
than high living always appealed to him. Though it was 
his lot to hold converse with kings and others high in 
authority and place, yet he was approachable, and made 
the youngest and humblest at ease in his presence. He 
was the friend and inspiration of young men, the pro- 
moter of education in all of its phases, the earnest, 
humble follower of Jesus. When shall we look upon 
his like again ? 



R. ATWELL TUCKER 

1857-1903 

On Sunday, July 21, 1901, at Lawrenceville, Bruns- 
wick County, Virginia, a new meeting-house was dedi- 
cated, Rev. Dr. W. E. Hatcher preaching the sermon. 
The next issue of the Religions Herald presented pic- 
tures of the new church, a building seating 250 persons 
and costing about $3,000, and of the pastor, Rev. R. 
Atwell Tucker. Less than two years later the little 
Brunswick town and church took part in a service con- 
ducted by Rev. Mr. Boggs, of the Methodist Church ; it 
was the funeral of Mr. Tucker, who died on May 13, 
1903, from an attack of pneumonia. In his forty-sixth 
year, and probably in his most successful pastorate, he 
was called to his eternal reward. Besides Lawrenceville. 
the field (which was helped by the State Mission Board) 
included the James' Square and Reedy Creek Churches. 
In the early part of the year Mr. Tucker had been absent 
from his work for some six weeks ministering to his 
father and mother, who were both dangerously ill. In 
Amherst County, where he was born September 24, 
1857, Mr. Tucker labored in his early ministry, being 
pastor of Prospect Church. After his conversion, in 
1875, and his baptism, Rev. S. P. Massie administering 
the ordinance, he attended Richmond College, and, after 
he had commenced his work as a minister, he went for a 
session to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 
He was warm hearted and genial, enjoying greatly the 
companionship of his brethren in the ministry. While 
pastor at Clifton Forge and Sharon Churches (Augusta 
Association), in a letter to the Herald, just after he had 

65 



VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

a visit from his college mate, Rev. W. C. Tyree, and 
Rev. Mr. Chapman, he wrote : "I often meet with 
ministers of other denominations, but rarely ever see a 
Baptist preacher." In the summer of 1891, at his 
Natural Bridge Church, he was assisted by Rev. P. G. 
Elson in a meeting which resulted in the addition, by 
baptism, of 20 to the church. During the meeting 
Rev. A. E. Dickinson, Rev. J. T. Carpenter, Rev. J. H. 
Harris, and Prof. F. A. Byerly were present at one or 
more of the services, and Col. E. G. Peyton hospitably 
entertained without charge, some two weeks, the preachers 
at the Natural Bridge Hotel during the progress of the 
meeting. Besides the churches already named, the fol- 
lowing should be set down as among those to which 
Mr. Tucker ministered: Springwood (Valley Associa- 
tion), Flint Hill, Washington, and Sperryville (Shiloh 
Association). "As a man he was modest, unassuming 
and chaste. . . . As a Christian his daily task was 
to walk with God. ... As a pastor he was atten- 
tive, sympathetic, and vigilant." 



ALEXANDER EUBANK 
1826-1903 

In Scotland preachers have always held high rank as 
scholars, and not unfrequently the records show how 
they took in hand the training of ambitious youths. 
Likewise in Virginia many a preacher has been a teacher ; 
this has been true of the Baptist ministers. Preaching 
and teaching have gone together. This was the case in 
the career of Rev. Alexander Eubank. While he has a 
long record as pastor and preacher, perhaps he will be 
best remembered for his work in the Sunnyside 
Academy, a boarding-school for boys, that he established 
and carried on for some forty years at his own home 
in Bedford County. As a teacher he worked also for 
two years at Big Island, and for four at Charlottesville. 
Thus he trained "for high and useful pursuits hundreds 
of youths and young men." In many cases he helped 
students financially, sometimes being afterwards re- 
couped and sometimes not. For this work of the school- 
room he had been excellently prepared. He studied at 
Richmond College the five sessions from 1847 to 1852, 
in this last year taking his Bachelor of Arts degree. He 
spent the session of 1853 to 1854 at the University of 
Virginia, taking the classes of Natural Philosophy and 
Moral Philosophy. Sunnyside Academy was organized 
about 1867, and had from twenty to forty pupils through- 
out its career. For a part of the time Mr. Eubank' s son 
was associated with him in this school. Mr. Eubank was 
an excellent teacher and won the affection and esteem of 
his students. 

When still quite a young man he was ordained to the 
ministry, his first church, which he served from 1855 for 

67 



68 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

eight years, being Liberty, at Bedford. Among the other 
churches of the Strawberry Association of which he 
was pastor were these: Mt. Olivet, Hunting Creek, 
Suck Spring, Quakers, Pleasant View, Burton's Creek, 
Halesford, Flint Hill, Diamond Hill, Morgan's, Wolf 
Hill, Bethlehem, and Difficult Creek. He was pastor for 
a time of Hebron, Appomattox Association. He was a 
leader in the Strawberry Association, and his appoint- 
ment to read an essay at the Ministers' and Deacons' 
Meeting in November, 1884, on the Bible Teaching as to 
Man's Total Depravity, was doubtless only one of many 
such duties that fell to his hands. 

He was born in King and Queen County, Virginia, in 
1826, and his death took place at his home, "Sunnyside," 
near Bedford City, on Saturday. July 18, 1903; he had 
been ill about a month. He was married in early life to 
Miss Emma Dickinson, of Charlottesville, Va. ; she and 
five children survived him. 



OSCAR FARISH FLIPPO 
1835-1903 

That interesting section of Virginia, known as the 
Northern Neck, which has given birth to so many of the 
State's greatest men, was where Oscar Farish Flippo 
first saw the light. He was born at Lebanon, Lancaster 
County, January 1, 1835. His parents, James P. and 
Frances Carter Flippo, were both members of the 
Morattico Baptist Church. Unfortunately he had small 
opportunity to know his mother, for when he was not yet 
three years old she died of a cancer, after having been 
for many months a great sufferer. From her early life 
she was a professor of religion, and during her many 
days and months of intense pain her resignation to 
the will of God was a lesson and example to all. Her 
cheerful and affectionate disposition seems to have de- 
scended to her son, whom this sketch describes. Little is 
known of his youth, and this is the more to be regretted, 
as the energy and enthusiasm which marked his manhood 
years suggest that his earlier days were not devoid of 
adventure and thrilling incidents. Save that he was 
educated at Kilmarnock Academy a veil is over his life 
until we find him, in 1855, teaching at Quantico, 
Wicomico County, Maryland. Here he met and was 
charmed by Miss Roxie Collier, a young lady, almost two 
years his junior, of an Episcopal family, and herself a 
member of that church from her early childhood. She 
was gentle, modest, unobtrusive, "beautiful of form, of 
face, and mien," of pure heart and sweet temper. He 
sought her acquaintance, loved her because he "could not 
help it," and on January 3, 1856, she became his bride. 
Their first-born child lived only some ten months. 

69 



70 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

He was licensed to preach in 1857 and ordained to 
the gospel ministry at Salisbury, Aid., his first pastorate, 
July 26, 1859. The "charge" delivered upon this occa- 
sion by Rev. John Berg, of Baltimore, was printed. Mr. 
Berg based his remarks upon Paul's exhortation to 
Timothy : "Preach the word," and called upon the young 
preacher to consider : "What you are to preach ; how 
you are to preach ; and what must be observed by you 
in order to succeed." Maryland has seemed to be not a 
very favorable soil for Baptists, and in his two years at 
Salisbury Mr. Flippo had many trials, but his fraternal 
spirit and tact helped him toward success. Sermons 
were preached in all the other churches against immer- 
sion. The other pastors did the preaching on this subject 
while he did the baptizing. He encountered opposition 
from the old-school Baptists. Subsequently, however, 
the pastor of this church was converted, and wrote to 
Mr. Flippo that "God had delivered him from bigotry 
and Bebeeism." It seems strange that any one could 
object to a preacher's passing through his field in order 
to baptize, yet such a man lived at Salisbury, though his 



"Received of Rev. O. F. Flippo the balance in full of Five Dollars 
due me for the privilege of passing through my lot three times to 
the water to baptize. 



"Teste : J. D. Johnson. 

While he was in Salisbury the Baptists bought the old 
frame Presbyterian Church and moved it to Division 
Street. With the other pastors of the town, Mr. Waite 
(Presbyterian), Mr. Wallace and Mr. Morgan (Metho- 
dist), and Mr. Augustus White (Episcopalian), Mr. 
Flippo sustained pleasant relations. When the Episcopal 
Church was burned this congregation was offered and 
accepted the use of the Baptist meeting-house. 



OSCAR FARISH FLIPPO 71 

One cold Christmas Eve in Salisbury Mr. Flippo 
found on the streets two boys whose poverty and rags 
put them in painful contrast to other boys, who had 
bright visions of the good things and many presents of 
the next day. The preacher invited them to come to his 
house the following morning. They came, and received 
toys, candy, nuts, and some articles of clothes for them- 
selves and their little sister. Comment is unnecessary. 

From 1861, for some seven years, Mr. Flippo was 
pastor of Newton, Pitts Creek, Rehoboth and Chinco- 
teague Churches. During this period he baptized two 
hundred persons. In 1863 he and his wife passed 
through a most trying ordeal. Their home was attacked 
by the dreaded disease, smallpox. One night, when these 
parents were nursing their daughter Sallie, looking for 
her death and thinking how, by themselves, they would 
have to shroud and bury her, Mrs. Flippo announced to 
her husband her purpose to be baptized and unite with 
his church. In the eight years of their married life he 
had never urged her to take this step; she had come to 
this decision by herself. Years before her marriage, 
while on a visit to Baltimore, she had seen Dr. Richard 
Fuller baptize at the Seventh Church, and the deep 
impression made then had never been effaced. Her bap- 
tism took place on a cold day, but she chose the river 
rather than the baptistery, and was buried with Christ in 
baptism at Cedar Hall, in the Pocomoke River, when 
"the wind was high and the waves were beating on the 
shore with furious rage." On one occasion, in Newtown,, 
the colored Methodist pastor asked Mr. Flippo to preach 
to his people on baptism. He did so, and, as a result 
of the sermon, he baptized the pastor and ten of the 
members ; the pastor himself baptized the rest. Echoes 
of various threats made to keep Mr. Flippo from preach- 
ing, as, for example, that his horse would be killed, come 



72 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

down to us, but none of these things moved him, and 
kindness suffered long and conquered. 

In March, 1868, Mr. Flippo became pastor of the Bap- 
tist Church at Dover, Del. Upon his arrival things were 
in a deplorable condition. The church doors had been 
closed and no baptisms had taken place for almost two 
years. During his pastorate of over two years nearly 
one hundred persons were baptized. On November 8, 
1869, he began a campaign for funds with which to pur- 
chase the Wyoming Institute, his pulpit during his 
absence being filled by Rev. George Bradford. The cam- 
paign was successful, and not only was the Institute pur- 
chased, but a Baptist Church, in the village of Wyoming 
(three miles south of Dover), was established several 
years later, largely the result of a meeting Mr. Flippo 
had held. While pastor at Dover Mr. Flippo was chap- 
lain for one session of the State Legislature. On Sep- 
tember 15, 1870, Mr. Flippo resigned at Dover to become 
General Missionary in Delaware of the American Baptist 
Home Missionary Society. During his years in Dela- 
ware, both as pastor and as missionary, he did much to 
quicken the life of the Baptist cause in the State. He 
declared: "It pays to cultivate Delaware." As editor 
and publisher of The Baptist Visitor, he accomplished 
great good and did much to bring the history, work, and 
principles of the Baptists before the people. While 
working as General Missionary he was invited, by a 
congregation of Methodist Protestants at Vernon, Kent 
County, to preach for them. In December, 1870, he 
complied with this request. He was asked to come back 
and hold a protracted meeting. This he did. In the 
midst of the meeting the people requested him to preach 
a series of sermons on the "Principles and Practices of 
Baptists." This he agreed to do provided they would 
follow him through "with the New Testament in hand 



OSCAR FARISH FLIPPO 73 

and not get mad." Before he completed this series of 
sermons the pastor, Rev. Richard H. Merrikin, and all 
the members asked to be baptized. They were baptized 
on a stormy day, March 12, 1871, and on the last Lord's 
Day of the following month a Baptist Church, known as 
Zion, was organized and Mr. Merrikin ordained as a 
Baptist minister and pastor of the church. The follow- 
ing November the church dedicated a beautiful Gothic 
meeting-house, Mr. Flippo preaching the sermon. In a 
somewhat similar manner the preaching of Baptist 
principles by Mr. Flippo at the village of Magnolia led 
to the establishment of a Baptist Church there and the 
erection of a meeting-house. 

Mr. Flippo became pastor of the Waverly Baptist 
Church, Baltimore, Md., in 1873. One of the objects 
of his removal from Delaware to Maryland was not 
obtained. It had been hoped that "the higher land and 
purer air of this beautiful village overlooking Baltimore" 
would restrain disease and lengthen out the life of Mrs. 
Flippo. It was not to be so. After months of pain and 
weariness she departed this life May 1, 1874. Mr. 
Flippo was pastor in Waverly some five years, and 
during this time was elected Moderator of the Maryland 
Baptist Union Association. On November 25, 1877, he 
became a Virginia pastor, taking charge of the field com- 
posed of the Suffolk, Great Fork, and Boykins Churches. 
On this field he worked as the missionary of the State 
Mission Board of the Virginia Baptist General Associa- 
tion. The Suffolk Church to-day has 460 members ; then 
it had only 53, while the number at Boykins was 67, and 
at Great Fork 209. On January 1, 1878, Mr. Flippo 
was married to Miss Mollie E. Emmert, of Washington 
County, Maryland, Rev. A. E. Rogers officiating. Mr. 
Flippo left the Suffolk field to become pastor in Alex- 
andria in 1881. His pastorate here was a prosperous 



74 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

one, and there was general regret on the part of his 
church and the community when he resigned to become 
pastor in Roanoke. Va. His pastorate in Roanoke began 
October 6, 1886. According to the plan agreed upon, 
every fourth Sunday morning he preached for Hebron 
Church at the village of Bonsacks, some seven miles 
from Roanoke. These services were held in the Metho- 
dist Church until, through his leadership, a Baptist 
meeting-house at Bonsacks was dedicated in the spring of 
1889. During that same spring steps were taken for the 
erection of a new and handsome church house in Roan- 
oke. On April 21st a subscription of $8,000 toward 
the new house was taken. On July 26, 1891, the 
spacious brick structure standing alongside the old frame 
meeting-house was dedicated. To-day a marble tablet in 
memory of O. F. Flippo adorns the walls of the main 
audience room. The Sunday school, as well as the 
church, grew rapidly under his administration. Take, 
for example, these figures: January 1, 1891, the Sunday 
school numbered 245, and on January 1, 1892, the figures 
were 394. In 1886 the church had 116 members, and in 
1893, the year when Mr. Flippo resigned, the figures 
were 559. Nor was his work confined to his own church. 
During his pastorate the church at Vinton, a suburb of 
Roanoke, was established, and also a mission Sunday 
school in East Roanoke, which has since developed into 
the Belmont Church. That Mr. Flippo was popular with 
those outside his own church, as well as with his own 
members, is proved by the fact that one day he was the 
recipient of a handsome buggy, the gift of Mr. N. T. 
Nininger. The whip and lap robe that accompanied the 
buggy were a present from Mr. M. H. Eurman. Neither 
of these gentlemen was a member of his church. This 
fortunate pastor had no need to own a horse for his new 



OSCAR FARISH FLIPPO 75 

buggy, as, at the stable of Horton & Roberts, one was 
always at his disposal free of cost. 

Mr. Flippo was regular in his attendance on the meet- 
ings of the Southern Baptist Convention. When the 
Convention met in Louisville, in 1899, an amusing inci- 
dent took place. The city was crowded with visitors, as, 
besides the Convention, the races, and a tent meeting 
conducted by Sam Jones, were going on. One day, as 
Mr. Flippo was talking to a circle of friends in the 
gentlemen's room of the Gait House, a handsome, well- 
dressed stranger walked up and asked them to take a 
"winiwee" with him. Mr. Flippo said : "You will have 
to level yourself; we don't know what that means." 
"Well," answered the stranger, "come and take a 'nipper' 
with me." Mr. Flippo replied: "I don't know what you 
mean." The stranger then became very emphatic and 
profane, and said : "You need not put up a case of inno- 
cence. Come and take a drink with me." Mr. Flippo 
was disposed to chaff the man a bit farther, but another 
one in the circle said : "You do not know us. We are 
here attending the Southern Baptist Convention, and 
several of this crowd are clergymen." This information 
called forth an apology and the statement that he was a 
Catholic and in Louisville with a string of horses for the 
races. After further conversation he pulled out a roll of 
money and, notwithstanding earnest protest, was not 
satisfied until he had persuaded Mr. Flippo to accept a 
five-dollar bill, to be used for "some of your charities." 

In July, 1893, Dr. Flippo resigned the church in Roan- 
oke to accept the position of District Secretary of the 
American Baptist Publication Society, and went to 
Philadelphia to live, he and his wife becoming members 
of the Fifth Baptist Church of that city. To this work 
Dr. Flippo gave twelve years. More than once before 
the Publication Society had sought to secure his services, 






76 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

realizing how well adapted he was for this kind of work. 
To present the claims of the Society and to take collec- 
tions, to dedicate churches and pay debts on them, were 
some of the forms his varied service for the Society took. 
With great energy, enthusiasm, and hard work he sought 
to do good in this wide and important field. Take some 
illustrations of his busy, active life. On the first Sunday 
of the century he was with the saints at Turtle Creek, 
preaching the dedication sermon of their new meeting- 
house, and at its close raising $2,400 to pay the debt. The 
next night he delivered one of his popular lectures and 
went home with a neat sum for the Society. At another 
time we see him at Flatwoods, in the Monongahela Asso- 
ciation, for Saturday and Sunday. A storm was raging 
and the mud was deep, but, nevertheless, on Saturday 
night the lecture went well, and Sunday, though rain and 
wind and mud still held sway, the people heard about 
the work of the Society and made a liberal contribution. 
Dr. Flippo's ability as a popular lecturer stood him in 
good stead in his service for the Society. The incidents 
just given explain how this was done. For many years 
he had been in great demand as a lecturer, not only for 
churches, but at "Chautauquas" and other similar gather- 
ings. His repertoire comprised the following lectures: 
"Tongue and Temper," "Difficulties," "The Defeat of 
Old Fogyism and the Onward March of Mind," "Anger, 
or the Folly of Getting Mad," "Keys to Unlock Hearts," 
"Ice in the Pulpit." Of all these lectures, one especially 
gave Dr. Flippo far-reaching reputation, was doubtless 
the means of much good, and will contribute no little to 
perpetuating his name for years to come. The title of 
this lecture, "Ice in the Pulpit and Who Put it There," 
had much to do with its popularity. With impartiality 
he laid the cause of coldness in the pulpit on the pastor 
and people alike. In this, as in his other platform 



OSCAR FARISH FLIPPO 17 

addresses, there was not only humor and an effort to 
make people laugh, but thought and sober purpose to 
uplift and do good. With a blending of humor, pathos, 
satire, and homely truth, he sought to accomplish his pur- 
pose. Doubtless the man's personality, his robust figure, 
his voice, with its wide range and soft modulations, 
helped him to delight and help audience after audience all 
over the East and South. In this connection reference 
should be made to what might be called the by-products 
of his ministry. He was always fond of poetry, and 
loved to quote from the poets in his sermons, addresses, 
and articles for the newspapers. He would not have 
made claim that he was a poet, yet verses came easily to 
his tongue, and upon' anniversary and other such occa- 
sions he often wrote lines to do honor or give pleasure 
to friends or comrades. 

On February 28, 1903, his second wife, to whom he 
had been married some twenty-five years, and who was 
greatly beloved by a wide circle of friends, passed away. 
About a year later failing health caused him to resign 
his position with the Society, though as Secretary 
Emeritus his connection with this organization continued 
up to his death. Even on his sick bed he wrote, by 
dictation, articles for the papers, and when so feeble that 
he needed assistance in dressing he got up and went to 
a neighboring church, where he preached, on the text 
"Who loved me and gave himself for me," what proved 
to be his last sermon. Not long before the end he gave 
evidence at once of his liberality and of his faith in the 
work to which his closing years were dedicated by con- 
tributing enough money to provide for a colporteur 
wagon for the State of Delaware, to bear his name and 
to carry on work that was dear to his heart amidst scenes 
where he had labored. On August 3, 1903, at 1006 
Washington Street, Wilmington, Del., in the home of 



78 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

his daughter, Mrs. D. J. Beauchamp, he passed to his 
reward. Funeral services were held at Wilmington and 
also at Martinsburg, W. Va., where, in Greenmount 
Cemetery, his body was laid to rest beside that of his 
wife. He left five children: Messrs. E. L. and J. P. 
Flippo, of Roanoke City; Mrs. George Gravatt, of Hol- 
lins; Mrs. D. J. Beauchamp, of Wilmington, Del., and 
Mr. O. F. Flippo, Jr., of Mount Vernon. Ohio. 



MARSHALL W. READ 

1813(?)-1903 

As a builder of meeting-houses and as a faithful 
minister of the gospel Rev. Marshall W. Read is remem- 
bered in the Roanoke Association. Here he labored for 
forty years. He built the meeting-houses at Chatham. 
Hollywood, Prospect, and Sharon. Possibly other 
houses of God were erected through his efforts ; the table 
of work in the report of the State Mission Board year 
by year has more than once, opposite to his name, such 
a record as this : ''Organized one church, in construction 
two, completed one." In 1873, when he was pastor to 
four State Mission points, he preached 149 sermons and 
baptized 29 persons. Mr. J. H. Hargrave, a member of 
the Roanoke Association, says of Read: "He organized 
and built more churches than any other man who ever 
labored in our Association." In the course of his 
ministry he served these churches in the Roanoke : 
Hollywood, Mt. Vernon, Liberty, Galveston, Shiloh, 
New Prospect. He was the true friend of the Roanoke 
Female College, having much to do with the beginning 
of this seat of learning. In his missionary work "he 
would overcome obstacles that would dampen and chill 
the ardor of other men. Nothing but success and victory 
would satisfy him in whatever he might undertake." 
The date of his birth has not been ascertained ; his death 
occurred August 22, 1903, in Bedford County. 



79 



WILLIAM HARRISON WILLIAMS* 
1840-1893 

On Friday, August 25, 1893, a group of Baptists were 
returning to their homes, by way of Alexandria, Mo., 
from a District Association. As they waited for the 
train, one of the company suggested that they should sing- 
some hymns, and when one song was over he told of a 
baptism he had performed years before (of which occa- 
sion the hymn reminded him), when the ice had to be 
broken for him to perform the ceremony. In a moment 
his head had fallen on his breast and he was dead. Dur- 
ing the earlier part of the day, at the Association, he had 
preached and spoken, and later on in the day had written 
a number of letters and done other clerical work. This 
man, to whom death came so suddenly, was Rev. Dr. 
William Harrison Williams, who, from July 10, 1882, 
to the end, was editor of the Central Baptist, the organ 
of Missouri Baptists. While the last years of his life 
were given to Missouri, Dr. Williams was a native of 
Virginia, where he was educated and where he held 
several pastorates. 

He was born in Richmond, July 18, 1840. In March, 
1854, he was baptized by Rev. Dr. Basil Manly into the 
fellowship of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, and 
on April 25, 1858, while still a student at Richmond Col- 
lege, was licensed to preach. In July, 1861, he was 
graduated from Richmond College with the degree of 
M. A. While he had many qualifications for a business 
career and excellent opportunities in this direction, he 
persisted in his purpose to preach. During the Civil War, 
which interrupted his course at the Southern Baptist 

*This sketch (since it belongs to a former period) should have 
been in the "Supplement." rather than in the body of the book. 

80 



WILLIAM HARRISON WILLIAMS 81 

Theological Seminary, then at Greenville, S. C, he was 
useful in the army as chaplain, in the field, and at Camp 
Winder, Richmond. His first pastorate was at Freder- 
icksburg, where he remained, from July, 1865, some 
fourteen months. He now resumed his studies at Green- 
ville, and after two sessions, in May, 1868, received his 
diploma as "full graduate." In October, 1868, he became 
pastor of the First Baptist Church, Charleston, S. C, and 
after eleven months left Charleston to take charge of the 
Baptist Church in Staunton, Va. During the two years 
of his pastorate in Staunton there was established in that 
town, under the presidency of Prof. John Hart, a dis- 
tinguished educator, a school for young women. In 
Tuscaloosa, also, where Dr. Williams became pastor in 
January, 1872, there was a school for young women, 
known as the Alabama Central Female College. During 
the larger part of his residence in Tuscaloosa, besides his 
church work he was instructor at the college in Moral 
Philosophy and English Literature. In November, 1877, 
he took charge of the church at Charlottesville, Va. 
From Charlottesville he moved to Missouri, becoming an 
editor. 

The list of churches of which Dr. Williams was pastor 
gives evidence of his high rank as a preacher, and makes 
an estimate of his pulpit work unnecessary. His bearing 
was courteous and gracious, his manner winsome. At 
associational and Sunday-school gatherings he was 
always a welcome speaker, and his addresses to children 
gave them much delight. The zeal and earnestness of 
the man is put into clear light by an incident which came 
to the knowledge of Rev. N. O. Sowers. Young Wil- 
liams, at the age of eighteen, undertook colporteur work 
in Frederick County, Virginia. In his first visit he 
encountered an infidel, who told him that two-thirds of 
the preachers were going to hell. This rebuff led the 



82 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

young colporteur to return to the home of Mrs. S. S. 
Gore, his headquarters, with the conviction that he 
needed more grace for his work. This good woman 
found him on his knees wrestling in prayer for the needed 
strength. When he started out again he came to a home 
where the parents were away at work ; here he taught 
the children about God and Jesus in so excellent a way 
that the parents were led to conversion and church mem- 
bership. A conversation with a man in the field at his 
work made such an impression for good that ten years 
afterward when the man presented himself for church 
membership lie said that the words of the young col- 
porteur had led him to Christ. 

Dr. Williams was survived by his wife and six chil- 
dren, one of whom is now a minister of the gospel, 
namely- Rev. Wm. Harrison Williams, and another, 
Mrs. Everette Gill, missionary to Italv. 



JAMES ALLISON DAVIS 

1827-1903 

James Allison Davis was born in Washington County, 
Virginia, February 22, 1827. While his early educa- 
tional opportunities were not good, he made excellent use 
of the chances he had, and at the age of twenty-two was 
himself a school-teacher. It was in Caldwell County, 
Kentucky, that he wielded the pedagogue's rod, and it 
was at this period and place that he was born again. 
Although he had been reared under Presbyterian influ- 
ences, his own study' of the Scriptures led him to adopt 
Baptist views, and he was baptized by Rev. J. W. Mans- 
field (who was a native of Albemarle County, Virginia) 
into the fellowship of the Little River Church. In 1850, 
at Blountville, Tenn., he was licensed and ordained, Rev. 
Noah Cate being the moderator of the presbytery. His 
first pastorate was of the Blountville and Holston 
Churches. In connection with this pastorate he did some 
evangelistic work. 

In 1857 he settled at Marion, Va., organizing, or 
reorganizing, the church there, with 19 members. A 
meeting-house was erected and the work firmly estab- 
lished. In March, 1861, he became pastor of Enon Bap- 
tist Church, Hollins, where he remained until November, 
1864. His next pastorate was at what is now known as 
Bedford City ; then it was called Liberty. His going 
to the county-seat of Bedford was an epoch for him, for 
in this county the rest of his life, some thirty years, was 
to be spent, and here he died and was buried. He was 
pastor of the Liberty Church some eight years, and then 
began his work as a country pastor. The churches which 

83 



84 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

he served were Mt. Olivet, Flint Hill, Diamond Hill, 
Beaver Dam, Shady Grove, Mt. Zion, Walnut Grove, 
New Prospect, Suck Spring, Mt. Hermon, Hunting 
Creek, Pleasant View , Beulah, Flat Creek, and Quakers. 
The reader, remembering that usually the Virginia Bap- 
tist country pastor has four churches, will understand 
the better this long list of names ; he will also see with 
the mind's eye this man of God going long distances to 
his appointments over the red Bedford roads, which are 
often muddy in winter and dusty in summer. 

Mr. Davis was fond of a horse, aimed to have a good 
one, and then believed in going at a good speed. When 
he and J. R. Harrison were associated as fellow-pastors 
they named their horses respectively "John Bunyan" and 
"John the Baptist." During a part of his life in Bed- 
ford, when he was missionary of the State Mission 
Board, his field was wide and his labors abundant. The 
State Mission Report for 1872 shows that he had that 
year more conversions in meetings held with pastors than 
any other missionary. The report says : "Brother Jas. 
A. Davis has been laboriously and successfully employed 
in the Strawberry Association. He baptized 80 converts 
and held meetings with pastors in which there were over 
200 conversions." The following year the State Mission 
Report showed that he baptized 42 converts and aided 
pastors in meetings in which there were 97 conversions. 
On one occasion he was urged to hold a meeting in a 
union Sunday school which was rather out of his terri- 
tory. He consented to go provided that the two brethren 
urging him to come should make three lists of the uncon- 
verted people in the neighborhood and covenant with 
him to pray three times every day, until the meeting 
began, for each of these persons. This was done, and a 
great meeting followed, resulting in the organization of 
a church and finally the formation of a new 7 field and the 
building of a parsonage. 



JAMES ALLISON DAVIS 85 

Mr. Davis exerted a strong influence for good in the 
Strawberry Association. He was a man of piety and 
great missionary zeal. Once he was driving along not 
far from the towering Flat Top Mountain. His com- 
panion was the young pastor he was helping in a meeting. 
The meeting had not been successful. He proposed that 
they should tie the horse and enter the woods for a season 
of secret prayer for the meeting, each one going in a 
different direction. He brought the new leaven of mis- 
sions and benevolence into practical effect in the Straw- 
berry. Prof. H. H. Harris attributed mainly to him 
the transformation in those vital matters that came to 
pass at this period in this Association. Dr. C. A. Board, 
for years the clerk of the body, gave the same testimony. 
"His great personality, gentleness, zeal, and persistent 
effort, with tact and power of organization, qualified him 
to lead." 

Rev. W. S. Royall, who was for many years pastor of 
the Bedford City Church, says : "Brother Davis was an 
efficient leader. ... In the pulpit he was strong, 
and his sermons were thoroughly studied and well pre- 
pared. His handsome face, commanding figure, incor- 
ruptible life, and earnest delivery added great influence 
and force to his words. ... As pastor he loved his 
people, visited them faithfully, and manifested deepest 
sympathy and gentleness. . . . The people believed 
in him, followed him, and loved him." Not only was he 
successful in evangelistic preaching himself, but he called 
to his aid for protracted-meeting work in his own 
churches, strong and zealous men. In a letter written to 
the Herald, November 8, 1888, he tells how R. D. Hay- 
more helped him in a meeting at Mt. Olivet, C. G. Jones 
in one at Mt. Zion, and that meetings were planned for 
Walnut Grove and New Prospect, J. R. Harrison being 
the preacher at the former and J. M. Luck at the latter 
church. 



86 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

During the years after the War he was called on very 
often to marry colored couples. They did not hesitate 
to make him ride long distances for these functions, yet 
never paid him anything for his services. It became an 
imposition and a nuisance, from which he finally secured 
relief by demanding pay before he started. He was 
twice married, first, on March 4, 1861, to Miss Martha 
E. Hamilton, and, after having been a widower several 
years, the second time to Miss Susan A. Jeffries, of Cul- 
peper. His wife, four sons, and five daughters survived 
him. Two of his daughters married Baptist preachers, 
namely, Rev. J. W. Wildman, of Yancey Mills, Va., and 
Rev. J. M. Street, of Cumberland, Va. Robert Hamilton, 
Mary Alice (Mrs. Wildman), William Cute, and Laura 
A. were the children of the first wife. James Ambrose, 
Nannie Moore, Richard Tyree, and Sarah Judson (Mrs. 
Street) were the children of the second wife. During his 
last illness, which was a lingering one, his children came 
from long distances to bestow upon him the love and care 
of which he was so worthy. He faced death, which came 
to him in Bedford City, October 8, 1903, "with tranquil 
faith and the courage of a conqueror." His body rests 
in the Longwood Cemetery, Bedford City, not far from 
the grave of "Father" Wm. Harris. 



WYCLIFFE YANCEY ABRAHAM 

1850-1903 

About a mile from Goshen Bridge, Va., where a 
furnace village now stands, there was for many years 
a home whose hospitable doors swung open to scores, 
perhaps hundreds, of guests. This was the home of Mr. 
John W. Abraham. With his wife, he moved from 
Buckingham County to Rockbridge when his only child, 
Wycliffe, who was born June 8, 1850, was very young. 
So the boy grew up in the Goshen neighborhood, and 
when still quite a youth accepted Christ and was baptized 
by the pastor, Rev. J. Wm. Jones, into the fellowship of 
the Goshen Bridge Baptist Church. The sunny enthusi- 
asm of his mother and the sterling worth of his father 
were indeed precious assets for the son. From such 
gracious home influences he passed on his way toward 
his life work. His academy work was done in Staunton, 
where he boarded for a season in the home of Rev. Geo. 
Boardman Taylor. He was at Richmond College during 
the sessions of 1869-70 and 1870-71, and then at the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His ordination 
took place at the Goshen Bridge Church, March 30, 1879. 
He served, until a severe throat trouble and deafness 
made further public ministerial work impossible, these 
churches : Deerfield, Craigsville, Fincastle, New Bethel, 
Pleasant Hill, and Greenville. Upon retiring from the 
active ministry, he lived first in Columbia, S. C, and then 
in Richmond, Va. In both of these cities he was an 
earnest and effective Christian worker. In the former 
city he organized a Sunday school which grew into the 
Second Church; he preached regularly for this flock. 

87 



88 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

doing also pastoral work, until they were strong to call 
an undershepherd. In Richmond his membership was 
first at Grace Street and then at Immanuel. He was 
married twice. His first wife, who was Miss Annie H. 
Broadus, the daughter of Rev. Dr. John A. Broadus, 
died while he was living in Columbia, leaving a son and 
a daughter. His second wife, who was Miss Lelia 
Christian, daughter of Charles Christian, Esq., of Buck- 
ingham County, survived him. 

His death was sudden. He attended the session of the 
General Association of 1903 in Staunton, and on Mon- 
day, November 16th, before the body had adjourned, 
returned to Richmond. On the street car, as he was 
going from the station to his home, he was taken ill. The 
car was stopped and he was carried to a neighboring drug 
store, but in a few moments he was dead. Two days 
later, on November 18, 1903, his body was laid to rest 
in the cemetery in Staunton. Many will long remember 
his kindly spirit and great zeal for God's work. This 
sketch is based mainly on the obituary, in the Minutes of 
the General Association, prepared by Rev. Dr. W. J. 
Shipman. 



NATHAN M. MUNDEN 
1833-1903 

In Princess Anne County, Virginia, and the adjoining 
counties, the career of Nathan M. Munden was run. He 
was a prophet not without honor in his own country. In 
Princess Anne County, that lies beside the sounding sea, 
on August 13, 1833, he first saw the light, and at Oak 
Grove Baptist Church, in the same county, he was bap- 
tized in 1855, while two years later he became the clerk 
of this body. That those who were nearest to him, and 
so, doubtless, knew him best, had a high regard for his 
character and ability, is plain, since this same church, in 
May, 1859, licensed him to preach, and the following 
year, in November, had secured his services as their 
pastor. His ordination having taken place in January, 
1861, the presbytery consisting of Elders J. P. Ewell, 
H. J. Chandler, H. S. Banks, and M. R. Watkinson, he 
was pastor, though on account of the War not without 
interruptions, of Oak Grove until 1866. Again in 1872 
he became the shepherd of this flock, ministering to them 
regularly until 1884, when he resigned and moved to 
Norfolk County. Here he labored faithfully until fail- 
ing health made it necessary for him to give up preach- 
ing. More than one long pastorate is evidence of his 
sterling character and worth. He was pastor of Black 
Water for twenty-two and of Pleasant Grove for twenty- 
nine years. Lake Drummond was under his care for five 
years, and the First Church (Norfolk), St. John's, and 
Deep Creek for a shorter time. "His special fondness 
for souls, bright intellect, tenacious memory, gift of 
speech, genuine godliness, and genial disposition won for 

89 



90 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

him at once a place in the hearts of all he met." He was 
never a strong man physically, and finally a long but 
patient sufferer. He grew old gracefully, becoming 
more tender as the end drew near. The night of Novem- 
ber 19, 1903, he fell on sleep, having reached his three- 
score years and ten. His wife, who, for forty-five years, 
had been his faithful companion and helpmeet, still sur- 
vives him. His pastor, whose obituary has furnished 
the facts for this sketch, conducted the funeral service, 
assisted by Rev. N. B. Foushee, of the Methodist Church. 
The body was laid to rest in the Oak Grove Cemetery. 



ROBERT RHODAM LUNSFORD 

182&-1903 
Rhoclam Lunsford, who was of English descent, and 
whose ancestors settled in the Northern Neck of Vir- 
ginia, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His son, 
Merriman Lunsford, was a Baptist preacher and one of 
the pioneer Baptist preachers in Piedmont Virginia, to 
which section of the State he moved when he was a 
young man, settling in Bedford County. Here he was 
pastor, for forty years, of the Blue Ridge Church, and 
for many years of the Glade Creek Church. He married 
Miss Susan Mills, and of this union three children 
were born, the youngest child and the only son being- 
Robert Rhodam Lunsford, who was born February 
29, 1828. Since both the Mills and Lunsford families 
were remarkable for their strong piety and religious 
convictions, it is not surprising that young Lunsford's 
early training was under the best religious influences. 
His family was probably connected with that of Elder 
Lewis Lunsford, who was such a power in the early 
history of Virginia Baptists. When the boy was about 
four years old his father moved to the southern part 
of Botetourt County, where he purchased a farm on 
Goose Creek. Here father and son spent the remainder 
of their days. Since his father's means were limited 
and the opportunities for a college education rarer than 
to-day, the young man never saw the halls of a college, 
but he was a great student, having the faculty of master- 
ing whatever he undertook. So his education was by no 
means limited to the training of the common schools of 
his day. In after years he taught school, with many 
grown men as pupils ; thus his income and his influence 

91 



i 



92 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

were enlarged. On December 17, 1849, he was married 
to Sarah Ann Lemon, and soon afterwards both husband 
and wife united with Glade Creek Baptist Church and 
were buried with Christ in baptism, the ceremony being- 
performed by Elder A. B. Brown. Eor this distin- 
guished preacher Mr. Lunsford always had the highest 
esteem and affection, treasuring in his library the "Life 
and Writings of Dr. A. B. Brown," written by Dr. and 
Mrs. Win. E. Hatcher. 

Soon after his union with the church he began to 
exercise his gifts, and, being encouraged by his brethren, 
was licensed to preach. Upon the death of his father, 
on June 17, 1862, the Glade Creek Church turned to him 
to be their pastor, and, on August 1, sent a request to 
the Strawberry Association, then in session at the 
Beaver Dam Church, Bedford County, asking for a pres- 
bytery to consider the propriety of ordaining him whom 
they had already licensed. The request was granted, and 
Elders William Harris, J. R. Harrison, G. W. Leftwich, 
D. Staley, Pleasant Brown, N. Leslie, Alexander Eubank, 
and F. N. Sanderson were appointed as the presbytery, 
with instructions to "visit the church, examine into the 
propriety of ordaining Brother Lunsford, and to ordain 
him to the gospel ministry if deemed expedient." A few 
weeks later the ordination took place, and in the fall of 
1862 he became pastor of Glade Creek, in which relation- 
ship he continued until his death. During this long 
period he served various other churches in that general 
section of the country, Blue Ridge and Mountain View 
(in the Strawberry) and Cove Alum and Cave Rock (in 
the Valley) being among the number. Though he 
accepted such salaries as the churches gave him, such 
compensation was with him a secondary matter, and he 
depended upon his farm, which he worked with his own 
hands, for his livelihood. He was most hospitable in his 



ROBERT RHODAM LUNSFORD 93 

nature, and the guest was always welcome in his home. 
Since his house was on one of the leading highways of 
the State, many a passing preacher of his own and of 
other denominations found rest and comfort beneath his 
roof. He believed in foot-washing as a church ordi- 
nance, and his Glade Creek Church kept up this practice 
to the end of his life, though every other church in his 
Association had given it up. He wrote a pamphlet on 
this subject which was widely circulated. 

About a year before his death his health failed, but, 
securing brethren as supplies, he continued as pastor of 
his Glade Creek flock to the end. Two weeks after a 
stroke of paralysis, on August 6, 1903, while the Straw- 
berry Association that he loved so well and had attended 
so regularly was in session and praying for him, he 
passed to his reward. His wife survived him, and, on 
July 12, 1907, followed him to rest. His children are 
Paulina Frances (Mrs. Mark A. Calhoun), Marshall 
Taylor Lunsford, Mary Alice (Mrs. Jacob A. Zimmer- 
man), Christley Merriman Lunsford, and Griffin Gabriel 
Lunsford. 



JAMES FRANKLIN MAIDEN 

1823-1903 

The story of a man, who, in one year, delivered 322 
sermons, baptized 47 persons, had 3 meeting-houses in 
process of erection, and preached at 20 points, could 
but be of interest if fully known. Unfortunately, the life 
of James Franklin Maiden, who, in 1880, had the fore- 
going figures in his report to the State Mission Board, 
is not before us in detail. Evidently he was a man of 
energy and force. Augusta County, the county that gave 
Woodrow Wilson to the world, was, on February 21, 
1823, Mr. Maiden's birthplace. The family moved (in 
just what year is not known) to Botetourt County, 
settling near Fincastle, the county-seat. It was at this 
time and place that he had his early religious impressions. 
"He determined to pray that he might become better, and 
to be a secret Christian. He grew worse instead of 
better." The conversion of his brothers, John and 
Samuel, and their baptism, and his mother's, into the 
fellowship of the Zion's Hill Baptist Church, brought to 
him deep conviction, and he was certain that he was born 
to be lost. A conference between his mother and Pastor 
L. P. Fellers, which led to their making a covenant to 
pray for the youth's conversion, was overheard by him. 
He was persuaded that their prayers would be in vain, 
being sure that he was doomed. A certain summer day 
he went to a thicket of pines to pray and to die, but "he 
that loseth his life shall find it" — he came out of the 
woods rejoicing in the Lord. At the time of his union 
with Zion's Hill Church he felt that it was his duty to 
preach, but his limited education was an obstacle, so 

94 



JAMES FRANKLIN MAIDEN 95 

years elapsed before he finally entered the ministry. 
When his parents made a second move, this time to 
Washington County, he went with them, and soon after 
this, in 1845, he was married to Miss Mary Ann Dutton, 
of Cedarville. At the time of their marriage she was a 
Lutheran, but before long she became a Baptist. She 
was the mother of ten children, of whom six survived 
their parents. This home became a home for preachers, 
and their influence may have led their host to begin hold- 
ing, in his own home and elsewhere in the community, 
cottage prayer-meetings. He was no little disturbed 
that the other brethren had more freedom in prayer than 
he did, but he persevered until he was counted very able 
in prayer. In 1852 he moved to Smyth County, where, 
in 1855, he bought the house in which he afterwards died. 
He was evidently increasingly interested in religious 
work, for he was one of the constituent members of the 
South Fork Church (Lebanon Association), and on 
April 15, 1871, was licensed to preach. Just a week 
later, at Blankenbeckler's Schoolhouse, the people heard 
his first sermon, and, having supplied the following 
winter at Maiden's Spring (now Mountain View), in 
Washington County, at the request of this church he was 
ordained at South Fork, June 16, 1872. During the 
winter of 1873, in meetings that he held at Friendship, 
Middle Fork, Gollehon's Schoolhouse, and South Fork, 
154 persons were converted, of whom 131 were baptized 
into the fellowship of churches. More than once he was 
a missionary of the State Mission Board, and when he 
filled this position in 1877 his salary was, from the 
Board, $75, and from the Association, $100. As a 
result of his work at Long Hollow (Smyth County), 
Beaver Creek (now Oak Grove) Church soon came into 
being. He bore an important part in the organization of 
four other churches, namely. Cedar Bluff and Riverside, 



96 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

both in the Lebanon, and State Line and Laurel in the 
New River Association. In the course of his ministry 
he was pastor of the following churches, besides those 
already named : Sugar Grove, Vision, South Side, Gren- 
field, in the Lebanon, and Liberty Hill, Galena, and 
Baptist Union, in the New River. He was married a 
second time, on October 8, 1888, the bride on this occa- 
sion being Miss Sarah Etta Slemp, who, with five sons 
and a daughter, survived him. His death, caused by 
pneumonia, occurred on South Fork, Smyth County, 
Virginia, November 24, 1903. His body was committed 
to the earth in the graveyard of Blankenbeckler's School- 
house, where his first sermon was preached. This sketch 
is based, in the main, on the obituary, in the Minutes of 
the General Association, bv Rev. C. T. Taylor. 



THERON WALLACE NEWMAN 
1832-1903 

While his father was a Methodist minister, Theron 
Wallace Newman, who was born July 25, 1832, became 
a Baptist and a Baptist minister. He was converted 
about the year 1853 and baptized by the Rev. Thaddeus 
Herndon into the fellowship of Antioch Church. Three 
years before this he had been married to Miss Eugenia 
E. Newman ; this union was followed by fifty-three 
years of happy wedded life. After his ordination, in 
1858, for some years he preached and traveled as an 
evangelist, his field of labor being mainly the Potomac 
Association. His life as pastor and preacher, for some 
forty-five years, was given to the Association. During 
this period he served the following churches for longer 
or shorter seasons : Liberty, Grove, Oakland, Zoar, Rock 
Hill, Falmouth, New Hope, Richland, Antioch, Mt. 
Carmel, Stafford's Store, Bealeton. His pastorate at the 
Grove extended from April, 1875, to 1891. During this 
time he baptized into the fellowship of this church 157 
persons, and large congregations attended upon his 
preaching. This church, the Grove, has an interesting 
history. It was organized in 1811. Back in the 
eighteenth century there was a rich old bachelor, named 
Thomas Skinner, who turned his house into a meeting- 
house and built near it a smaller dwelling, where he 
lived; he planted a row of sycamore trees and a grove 
of apple trees, and, at his death, though not a Baptist, 
willed this property to the Baptist Church that was yet 
to be born ; this is where the Grove Church now stands. 
Mr. Skinner's interest in the Baptists was from what he 

97 






98 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

saw of a young husband and wife, who, in the face of 
bitter opposition, became Baptists. In his day books 
were scarce, so Mr. Skinner went to London and bought 
a library for the use of the pastor of the future Grove 
Church. 

Mr. Newman was "a most successful soul winner, and 
lie probably held more protracted meetings than any 
other pastor" in his association. "He was faithful and 
untiring in his efforts to build up the churches under his 
care. His salary was, for a man of his ability, always 
small, but he toiled on without complaining, content if 
God was pleased and souls saved." His death occurred 
at the home of his son-in-law. Mr. Theron Newman, in 
Washington, on Sunday, December 6, 1903. He had 
filled his appointment at the Herndon Church, Fairfax 
County, on the fifth Sunday in November, and was on 
his way home when he was smitten down at the home of 
his son-in-law. His wife and his son, Eddie, and his 
daughter, Lizzie, were with him at his death. This 
sketch is based, in the main, on the obituary, in the 
Minutes of the General Association, by Rev. C. W. 
Brooks, and on the sermon, also by Mr. Brooks, preached 
at the centennial of Grove Church. 



henry Mcdonald 

1832-1904 

County Antrim lies in the north of Ireland. It is in 
the province of Ulster, and is "one of the most decidedly 
Protestant counties in Ireland," yet in 1871 over one- 
third of the population was Roman Catholic. This 
county is famous for its Giant's Causeway, and for 
Lough Neagh, which is the fourth largest lake in Europe. 
In this county, on January 3, 1832, Henry McDonald 
was born, his parents and ancestors all belonging to the 
Catholic Church. "He was educated in the national 
schools of Ireland, and afterwards passed through the 
regular course of the Normal School, Dublin." In 1848 
Europe was moved by the revolutionary spirit and Ire- 
land felt this throb. In this year young McDonald "left 
his native country in consequence of the failure of the 
patriots to throw from them the yoke of British oppres- 
sion." He took passage on a vessel sailing for New 
Orleans. He reached this city without money and with- 
out friends, and for some days worked at the wharves 
helping to load ships. The young man attracted the 
attention of a Kentucky planter, and upon his invitation 
accompanied him to his home. It is interesting to notice 
that the next time McDonald saw New Orleans was in 
1877 when he came to the Southern Baptist Convention 
to preach the introductory sermon before that body. 

Upon reaching Kentucky he taught school for some 
time in Green County and then studied law and was 
admitted to the bar. "During his residence in Green 
County he made a thorough examination of the doctrines 
of Roman Catholicism, the result of which, after a severe 

99 



100 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

mental struggle, was the rejection of the whole system 
as unscriptural." He united with the Baptists and was 
baptized by the Rev. George Peck. He soon felt called 
to preach, and was ordained in May, 1854. He became 
pastor of the Greensburg Church and served it with 
marked success for nearly ten years. During this period 
he was pastor also of Friendship and Campbellsville 
Churches, in Taylor County, and of Mt. Gilead, in Greene 
County. He was pastor for one year of Waco Church, 
in Madison County, and for six years of the church in 
Danville. After this he was pastor, from 1870 to 1877, 
of the Georgetown Church, and professor of Theology in 
the Western Baptist Theological Institute. His next 
work was as Professor of Moral Philosophy in George- 
town College. Georgetown and Bethel Colleges gave him 
the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and the former college 
the degree of A. M. While in Kentucky he was married 
to Miss Harding, the daughter of Aaron Harding, who 
for several years represented Kentucky in Congress. 
From Georgetown he came to Virginia, becoming pastor 
of the Second Baptist Church, Richmond. Here he 
remained five years, taking a leading part in the work of 
Virginia Baptists and being greatly beloved and respected 
by them. While in Richmond he impressed for good 
many of the students at Richmond College. One testifies 
to the help Dr. McDonald gave him when he stood at a 
spiritual crisis in his life, and another declares that "Dr. 
McDonald's capacity for loving and being loved was 
wonderful." Dr. W. E. Hatcher, who was a fellow- 
pastor with him in Richmond, and a lifelong friend, 
says : "McDonald was made of the finest material, com- 
mon in nothing, noble in all. He had a genius for friend- 
ship, and was a friend never doubted, whose varying 
moods woke no suspicions, and whose soul clung with a 
love never changing." The blended humor and pathos 



henry Mcdonald 101 

of his Irish nature helped to make him an interesting and 
magnetic figure, whether he was seen in the pulpit or in 
the social circle. Rev. J. E. Hutson, who helped him in 
a meeting at the Second Church, declared that it was dur- 
ing this meeting that he discovered the nobility of the 
man, and then said : "In him were blended the modera- 
tion of Melanchthon and the intensity of Luther. . . . 
No doubt his modesty sometimes barred him from that 
public recognition to which his qualities of head and 
heart alike entitled him. Not infrequently his humility 
deprived him of the honor which his private suggestion, 
in conference or convention, brought to him who articu- 
lated the hint and to whom, in consequence, the wisdom 
of the measure was attributed. He could weep over the 
grievances of a child without detracting from his man- 
hood, as he could rebuke the sins of a dignitary of the 
church or State without that assumption which oftener 
offends than leads to amendment. But it was as a 
preacher of the everlasting, old-fashioned gospel that he 
made his highest and most enduring record." In 1879 
Dr. McDonald delivered before the Virginia Baptist 
Historical Society an address on "The Relation of the 
Anabaptists to the German Peasant War in the Sixteenth 
Century" ; at the same meeting he was made an honorary 
member of the Society. 

From 1882 to 1900 he was pastor of the Second Bap- 
tist Church, Atlanta, Ga. During this period he was 
President of the Home Mission Board of the Southern 
Baptist Convention. And among other offices of impor- 
tance that he held in the denomination was that of 
Trustee of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 
He was greatly beloved far and wide, and was often 
referred to as the "beloved John" of the Southern Bap- 
tist ministry. 



102 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

In the early part of 1904 he suffered a stroke of 
paralysis, and on Tuesday, March 22d, at 11 :1 5 a. m., he 
passed away. The funeral service in Atlanta was con- 
ducted by Dr. John E. White, Dr. W. W. Landrum, and 
Dr. Carter Helm Jones, while the exercises at George- 
town, Ky., where the body was laid to rest, were in 
charge of Dr. E. B. Pollard and Rev. T. J. Stevenson. 
His children are Aaron and Robert and Mrs. M. M. 
Welch, Mrs. M. L. Brittain, and Mrs. B. T. Crump. 



ERNEST THOMAS GREGORY 

1869-1904 

Ernest Thomas Gregory was born, and did his life 
work, in Southside Virginia. He was born in Mecklen- 
burg County, March 20, 1869. He accepted Christ in 
early life, and, having decided to preach, prepared for 
this work, first at the Southside Academy, Chase City, 
then, during the sessions of 1890-91, 1891-92 and 1895- 
96, at Richmond College, and finally at the Southern 
Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. He was 
called to the pastorate of the New Hope Church, where 
he was a member, and his ordination took place Novem- 
ber 7, 1900. After New Hope (Concord Association) 
and Mt. Tirzah (Appomattox Association), his churches 
were Halifax, Dan River, and Hunting Creek, all in the 
Dan River Association. In February, 1904, he was 
stricken with la grippe, brought on, probably, by his being 
exposed to the weather in going to his appointments. 
He came home on the fourth Sabbath in February quite 
ill. He made a brave fight for life, but died at Houston, 
April 9, 1904. He had never been strong physically, but 
his mind was vigorous, and his heart ever beat in sym- 
pathy with men. "As a preacher he was earnest, prac- 
tical, scriptural, and evangelistic. . . His minis- 
try, though brief, was owned of God in the conversion of 
many and the upbuilding of active and spiritually influ- 
ential churches." His wife, who was Miss Mary Young, 
of Louisville, Ky., and to whom he was married July 3, 
1901, survived him. The facts given here are from the 
obituary, written by Rev. F. W. Moore, in the Minutes 
of the General Association. 

103 



SAMUEL CORNELIUS CLOPTON 

1847-1904 

For four generations the name of Clopton has adorned 
the roll of the Baptist ministry of Virginia. There was, 
first. Elder William Clopton, described as "a faithful 
preacher of the gospel." Next there was Elder James 
Clopton, who was born in New Kent County, January 5, 
1782, and "who principally labored in New Kent and 
Charles City Counties, but frequently made tours in the 
lower counties between York and James Rivers," and of 
whom we are told that "in all the region between Rich- 
mond and Williamsburg he left an enduring monument 
in the hearts of many, to the praise of God's grace." 
The third son of Elder James Clopton was Rev. Samuel 
Cornelius Clopton, who was also born in New Kent 
County, and who went out as the first missionary of the 
Southern Baptist Convention to China. He sailed, with 
his wife, who was Miss Keziah Turpin, a daughter of 
Rev. Miles Turpin, with Rev. George Pearcy and wife, 
on the Cahota, June 22, 1846. On July 7, 1847, he 
passed away, and his widow and only son returned to 
their native land. This son, born in China, was Samuel 
Cornelius Clopton, the subject of this sketch. He grew 
up, under the watchful care of his noble mother, "an 
earnest, self-reliant youth," whom "everybody knew 
could be trusted." In the ministry he is the son of Leigh 
Street Baptist Church, being licensed by this body to 
preach. By a hard struggle, "toiling at his books in the 
morning and at night, and working for the means to 
send himself to school in the afternoons and on Satur- 
days (when other boys less earnest were at play), he 

104 



SAMUEL CORNELIUS CLOPTOX 105 

made his way through college and to the seminary, and 
in due time came forth a graduate of whom they had 
just cause to be proud.'* 

On February 16, 1874, a few members of the Grace 
Street Baptist Church, Richmond, started a mission Sun- 
day school in a little storeroom on Clay Street west of 
Graham. The work prospered; in 1876 a chapel was 
erected, and on April 20, 1877, a church, known as the 
Clay Street Baptist Church, was organized with fifty-one 
members. To the pastorate of the young church Mr. 
Clopton was called. For some fifteen years, until July 
31, 1892, he continued the shepherd of this flock. 
"Under his matchless leadership the little church grew 
apace, and soon became conspicuous for her zeal and 
liberality, for wisely and well had he laid the founda- 
tions, and to him more than to any other is the credit 
due for the beautiful superstructure, the Calvary Baptist 
Church of to-day." When the new meeting-house of the 
Calvary Church was dedicated, on December 17, 1893, 
Mr. Clopton preached the sermon. Before his Richmond 
pastorate closed he had taken rank among the Baptist 
pastors of the city and State by reason of his zeal, his 
sincerity, his piety, and his genial Christian spirit. Many 
incidents might be given to show how earnest, godly, and 
kind he was. Mrs. John Pollard, who was a member of 
his congregation, and deaf, described in the Herald, after 
his death, how it was his custom to hand her, every Sun- 
day morning, the notes of his sermon, that she might 
have her share in the service. "His influence with young 
men was remarkable, and from his church there went 
forth, inspired by his example and counsel, some of our 
brightest and best pastors of to-day." Nor did he forget, 
in his work in Richmond, the far-away land of his 
nativity, for "there was hardly a Chinaman in Richmond 
who did not know him well," and a vear or so after 



106 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Mr. Clopton's pastorate closed the Chinese class of the 
Sunday school presented the church with a beautiful pul- 
pit chair, their presentation speech being made in English. 
He was a faithful helper in the work of the denomina- 
tion. For fifteen years he was a member of the Foreign 
Mission Board. One summer, at the suggestion of the 
Mission Board, he went to Bell Spring, in Pulaski County, 
and helped the pastor in a meeting that resulted in the 
addition, by baptism, of thirty-two persons to the church. 
He often wrote for the Herald, and certainly one of his 
articles, namely, that on the question whether women 
should speak in the churches, called forth many writers, 
some taking sides against and some for his views. 

While he will be best remembered for his labors at 
Clay Street (Calvary) Church, the three other pastor- 
ates that he held, after leaving Richmond, were not with- 
out fruit. From Richmond he went to the Parker 
Memorial Church,. Anniston, Ala., and from there to the 
Fuller Memorial Church, Baltimore. From Baltimore he 
came back to Virginia, taking charge of the church at 
Smithfield. As one of the results of his labors in this 
town a handsome meeting-house was erected and dedi- 
cated. The esteem in which he was held by all the 
denominations in Smithfield was proved by the memorial 
service that took place, after his death, in the Methodist 
Church (besides the one held in his own church), when 
the Methodist pastor, Rev. W. C. Green, presided, and 
when appropriate resolutions were passed. 

On Wednesday, May 10, 1904, he came to Richmond 
on his way to Rappahannock County, where he expected 
to seek rest and renewed health. His physicians, how- 
ever, found his condition more serious than he had sup- 
posed, and he went to the Retreat for the Sick, where, 
on May 19th, after a painful illness, he died. His body 
was buried in beautiful Hollywood, Richmond's city of 



SAMUEL CORNELIUS CLOPTON 107 

the dead. About the time of his going to Alabama to 
live he received from Richmond College the degree of 
Doctor of Divinity, and was married to Miss Annie 
Jones, of Rappahannock County ; she and two children 
survived him. The quotations in this sketch are from 
the obituary prepared for the Minutes of the General 
Association by Mr. R. R. Gwathmey; Mr. Gwathmey 
was a leader in the establishment of the Sunday school 
from which Clay Street and Calvary grew and one of the 
church's deacons. 



HENRY PETTY 
1828-1904 

To preach the gospel for forty-four years is no mean 
record. This, Rev. Henry Petty did. Besides, he added 
to the literature of his denomination, being the author of 
three stories which aimed to enforce the principles and 
doctrines of Baptists. The first of these stories, "Lena 
Landon," appeared in book form, while the others, 
"Helen Gray" and "The Lightfoots," came out as serials. 
The Accomac and Roanoke Associations claimed the 
larger part of his ministry, but immediately after his 
ordination, in 1859, he became pastor of the Greenville 
Church in North Carolina, and later he was pastor three 
other times in the Old North State, twice at Warrenton, 
and at Greensboro. Three different times he was pastor 
on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Here he served 
Lower Northampton and Red Bank, organized the 
church at Drummondtown in 1871, and built the 
meeting-house at Cheriton. During the War he was 
pastor of the Second Church of Petersburg, and, in 1878, 
a State missionary at North Danville. For twelve years 
he served the church at Chatham, and among the other 
churches of the Roanoke Association to which he was 
pastor are these: Greenfield, Sharon, Chestnut Level, 
Shockoe. 

He was born in Princess Anne County, Virginia, 
November 14, 1828. When he was an infant his father 
died, and, at eight years of age, he lost his mother. She 
had made an impression on him that he never outgrew. 
On her deathbed she told him that she wanted him to be 
a Christian and a preacher. Then she prayed that her 

108 



HENRY PETTY 109 

wish might be granted. In after years he was moved to 
follow her precepts. Thus left, at a tender age, an 
orphan, he developed independence of spirit, decision of 
character and economy. The kind home of his uncle, the 
Rev. H. H. Banks, now became his home, and here the 
influences that surrounded him were of the best. Early 
in life he came into touch with the Rev. Thomas Hume, 
Sr., who took great interest in him and later baptized 
him. His education cost him a struggle, but that he was 
more than victor in this struggle, a struggle that involved 
teaching school and perhaps other ways of turning an 
honest penny, is shown by the fact that he was an author 
as well as a preacher. Besides writing books, as already 
noted, he strayed, not infrequently, with his pen into the 
field of poetry. It would be interesting if we could know 
all that took place at two meetings at two country 
churches when Mr. Petty was the chief figure. Picture 
first the scene at St. John's Church at Princess Anne 
Court House when a presbytery composed of Elders 
H. J. Chandler, J. D. Elwell, and H. H. Banks, on 
February 27, 1859, examined and set apart the young- 
man to the gospel ministry. And next go, in imagination, 
to Ebenezer Meeting-House, in the same county, and 
hear this young man preaching his first sermon from the 
words : "The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God 
is at hand ; repent ye and believe in the gospel." From 
this day forward it is said that he never preached an 
indifferent sermon. 

On February 1, 1882, he was married to Mrs. Mary 
Carter Penick; she, with one daughter, survived him. 
Some two years before his departure he lost his hearing, 
and this affliction was followed by other bodily ailments, 
but he bore it all with exemplary patience. He passed 
away at Chatham, Va., July, 16, 1904, and in the ceme- 
tery of this town he sleeps his last sleep. 



JOHN MAJOR PERRY 
1835-1904 

While not a native of Virginia, Rev. John Major Perry 
spent some forty-one years of his life and of his ministry 
in this State. Frail health led him to Virginia, and the 
climate of his adopted State meant a long extension of 
his service in the Kingdom of God. His appearance sug- 
gested that he was not a strong man in body; his face 
was thin and his figure rather gaunt; he resembled 
Abraham Lincoln, and was mistaken for this famous 
man more than once. He was born in Montgomery 
County, Pennsylvania,. January 5, 1835. His student 
days were spent at Lewisburg University (now Bucknell 
University), and his diploma bears the date of July 27, 
1858. The churches that he served in Pennsylvania 
were Parkers ford, Conshohocken, Philipsburg, and 
Greenville. He was married March 1, 1862, to Miss 
Lida Bush, a daughter of Dr. Andrew Bush, of Chester 
County, Pennsylvania, and of this union six children were 
born. It was in 1873 that he came to Virginia, for the 
reason named above, and settled on a small farm near 
Wylliesburg, Charlotte County. Since there was no 
Baptist Church in the neighborhood, he organized one in 
1883 that took the name of Wylliesburg, having in 1878 
organized Friendship Church in the same county. These 
two churches he served for over twenty-five years, and 
before his ministry closed he had been pastor of Antioch 
and Tabernacle Churches, both in the Concord Associa- 
tion, as was also Wylliesburg; Friendship is in the 
Appomattox. Rev. H. T. Williams says : "Brother 
Perry was an unusually able preacher. His mind was 

110 



JOHN MAJOR PERRY 111 

thoroughly trained, he was well versed in the Scriptures, 
and he preached the great truths of the gospel in sim- 
plicity and with loving sympathy for all his hearers. He 
was so modest and retiring that he never became known 
to the brotherhood, of the State and never received on 
earth the recognition and honor that his character and 
work merited, but he was tenderly loved and highly 
honored by those who knew him and his service, and when 
the final records are unrolled he will be exalted in the 
presence of the King and the saints. . . He 

readily adapted himself to the thought and customs of 
the South. He was one of us, loving us tenderly and was 
devotedly loved by us." Mrs. Perry died in 1899, and 
in 1901 he was married to Miss Lizzie Gregory, a 
daughter of Mr. J. B. Gregory, of Mecklenburg County. 
Of this union one child, a girl, was born. After being 
ill for three weeks with pneumonia, Brother Perry passed 
away July 22, 1904, and the funeral took place in the 
Wylliesburg Church and the burial in the cemetery of 
this church. Besides his wife and the daughter of the 
second marriage, the following children survived him : 
Mr. E. L. Perry, Rev. W. M. Perry, Mrs. A. C. Davis, 
and Mrs. A. H. Moss. 



M. A. WILSON 

1839-1904 

Many years ago there came to the home of a Virginia 
pastor a visiting preacher. On Sunday night the visitor 
filled the pulpit. When the time for retiring came, the 
pastor's little boy followed his father and the guest to 
the bedroom. Before the hosts left the room their guest 
had begun to undress. It then appeared that he had 
preached with his whole back a mass of sores. The boy 
never understood exactly what was the matter with the 
visitor, but that he could have preached when in such a 
physical condition deeply impressed the child. The 
preacher with the sore back was Rev. M. A. Wilson, for 
thirty-eight years a pioneer Baptist missionary and 
church builder in the Valley and southwest sections of 
Virginia. Mr. Wilson was not a man of strong physical 
make-up — his face suggested this — and once the State 
Mission report says that he was absent from his work on 
account of ill health. Yet doubtless he had what might 
be called a wiry constitution, and in his "journeyings oft" 
over mountain and valley his hard work brought the 
compensation of much life in the open air. 

He was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, Febru- 
ary 6, 1839, being of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His early 
life on the farm offered few educational opportunities, 
nor did his later life give him much chance for study. 
He was baptized into the fellowship of the Neriah Bap- 
tist Church, Rockbridge County, by Elder J. C. Richard- 
son, in 1865. The next year, at Arnold's Valley Church, 
in the James River Valley, he was ordained and preached 
his first sermon. He married Miss Elizabeth J. Taylor, 
who, with five children (Dr. Frank L. Wilson, Joseph A. 
Wilson, Mrs. Emmons, Mrs. Ritz, and Mrs. Jones), sur- 
vived him. 

112 



M. A. WILSON 113 

Except for one brief period, Mr. Wilson, in all his 
career, never served a church that was fully self- 
supporting. As a missionary pastor and preacher he 
spent his life. During the many years of his ministry, 
besides eighteen months as pastor in Arkansas, he served 
the following churches in Virginia and West Virginia, 
though this list may not be complete: Kerr's Creek, 
Salem (Rockbridge County). Sharon, Cave Spring. 
Laurel Ridge, Berean, Sinking Creek, Pearisburg, New- 
port, Green Valley, Walker's Creek, Pocahontas, Prince- 
ton, Bluefield, East Roanoke, Big Stone Gap, Norton. 
On his mission fields he built sixteen meeting-houses, 
raising most of the money for these edifices at points in 
the State where the Baptists were stronger. More than 
once a notice like the following, from the issue of Octo- 
ber 1, 1903, appeared in the Religious Herald: "The 
veteran missionary and church builder, Rev. M. A. Wil- 
son, is among us once more and on his wonted mission. 
This time the house is at Norton, a growing town in 
Wise County. It is a worthy enterprise, and we trust 
Brother Wilson may meet with a generous response from 
our people." Yet his work was not simply that of 
begging and building. He had great evangelistic gifts, 
and hundreds, perhaps thousands, were led to Christ and 
baptized by him. It is easy to see how his ready mother- 
wit and his tactfulness would prove most valuable to him 
in his work among many kinds of folks. 

He passed away at Coeburn, Va., August 21, 1904, his 
last sermon having been preached at Graham, Va. The 
New Lebanon Association was in session in Bluefield at 
the time of his death, and so it came to pass that the 
funeral of this zealous man was attended by the delegates 
and ministers present at the meeting; this was highly 
fitting. The service, held in the First Baptist Church, 
was conducted by Rev. S. H. Thompson, and the burial 
took place in the cemetery of the city, Maple Grove. 



CHASTAIN CLARK MEADOR 

1825-1904 

The Baptist interests of Washington City have always 
been somewhat identified with those of Virginia Baptists, 
and so there is the more reason why a sketch of one 
whose whole ministry was given to the capital city should 
appear in this volume, since he was born in Virginia. 
Bedford County, the birthplace of so many Baptist 
preachers, was where, on July 11, 1825, Chastain Clark 
Meador first saw the light. In 1844 he was baptized into 
the fellowship of New Hope Baptist Church, which was 
then under the care of the Rev. James Leftwich, but it 
seems that the ordinance was administered in this case by 
Rev. William Harris, familiarly known as "Father 
Harris." The young man, with business as his expected 
career, worked for a time on the farm and then as a 
miller, but it was about this time that he was a teacher 
in the Sunday school of Mt. Hermon Church. At the 
age of twenty-five he decided to become a preacher, and 
in order to fit himself for this career turned his face 
towards the Valley Union Seminary (now Hollins Col- 
lege) at Botetourt Springs, a school for boys and girls, 
presided over by Dr. Charles L. Cocke. Here he 
remained about two years. Before going off to school he 
had been licensed to preach by Mt. Hermon Church, and 
upon his return home he taught school for about a year, 
preaching frequently during the same period in destitute 
neighborhoods. In .1857 he entered Columbian College, 
Washington, where he graduated with the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts in 1857. In 1860 Columbian gave him 
the degree of Master of Arts, and many years later the 

114 



CHASTAIN CLARK MEADOR 115 

honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. During his 
vacation days he worked as an agent for the college, seek- 
ing students, and in the midst of the session's work 
started a mission Sunday school in what is now known 
as Southwest Washington. This section of the city was 
then known as "The Island." Notwithstanding many 
obstacles, he worked at this mission, without any com- 
pensation, during the remainder of his student days. 
Once he went to one of the leading bookstores of the city 
to purchase hymn books and other supplies for his 
mission. The proprietor, a canny Scotchman and a 
staunch Presbyterian, who was interested in a Presby- 
terian mission in the same section of the city as Mr. 
Meador's school, asked the young student for what pur- 
pose he was buying the books. When the student told 
him, he said : " 'The Island' is vera aboondantly supplied 
with releegious privileges already." There were indeed 
two Presbyterian missions in that section of the city, and 
they afterwards grew into churches, but now the church 
that came out of the little Baptist mission has twice as 
many members as both of these churches put together. 
Some of the "cold water" thrown on Mr. Meador's mis- 
sion came from the hands of his own denomination ; 
when he asked the church where he held his membership 
to endorse the work he was doing, such a resolution was 
passed, but not until a cautious brother had secured the 
adoption of this amendment : "Provided this action shall 
involve no financial responsibility upon the part of the 
church." In after years, in telling of this event, he 
would say : "My heart went down into my boots, but I 
kept on, and in time recovered hope." 

A certain week in 1857 had for Mr. Meador three 
most important events, namely, his graduation at Colum- 
bian, his marriage to Miss Ann Camp Shields (formerly 
of Norfolk, Va. ), and the organization of his mission 



116 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

into a church, with him as the pastor. This union of 
church and pastor was to last for over forty-seven years, 
in many ways a unique and remarkable pastorate. The 
little afternoon Sunday school, started in what was then 
the least promising part of the city, using a rented hall 
and having only such equipment as its young leader could 
provide by his own efforts, came to be one of the most 
vigorous churches in Washington, but many obstacles 
had to be overcome. Just as the little church was setting 
out on its career the Civil War drove many of its mem- 
bers from the city and sowed seeds of discord among 
those who remained. All three of the deacons were 
Union men, and, taking exception to the Southern sym- 
pathies of their pastor, offered a resolution calling for 
his resignation. When the vote on the resolution came 
no one save the three deacons voted for it, the rest of the 
church rallying to the side of the pastor. Then the 
pastor suggested to the three deacons that if they could 
not abide in peace and harmony they had better take their 
letters; this they did. One of the three, after the War 
was over, came back to the fellowship of the church, 
became once more one of its deacons and continued, until 
his death, active in the church and devoted to the pastor ; 
his family, after more than half a century, are among 
the most devoted members of the church. A brother of 
Mrs. Meador, a hardware merchant, was one of the 
many who left Washington when the War broke out. 
The Lincoln Administration proceeded to confiscate the 
property of all such persons, but Mr. Meador, anticipat- 
ing such action in the case of his brother-in-law, promptly 
put up in place of the old sign one bearing these words : 
"C. C. Meador, Dealer in Hardware and Builders' Sup- 
plies." So great was his versatility and business ability 
that throughout the years of the War, when the church, 
disorganized and broken, was able to do little for his sup- 
port, he made the store the means of his livelihood. 



CHASTAIN CLARK MEADOR 117 

Up to the end of the War the meeting-house of the 
church was an unattractive frame building, poorly 
adapted to the work. A great revival, a year or so after 
the War, the greatest season of grace known up to that 
time among the Baptists of Washington, brought over 
one hundred and fifty members into the church and led 
to the erection of a commodious meeting-house. But 
now a new difficulty was encountered. This episode in 
the life of the church and its pastor is described as fol- 
lows by Mr. J. J. Darlington, a leading lawyer to-day of 
Washington and a son-in-law of Dr. Meador : 

"The Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Company, then 
recently authorized to construct its line from Baltimore 
to Washington, being in effect an extension of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad system, selected the immediately 
adjoining premises as the site of its roundhouse and 
repair shops, running a spur track across the sidewalk 
within a few feet of the new church edifice, which the 
greater part of the children attending the Sunday school 
and of the congregation at the church services were com- 
pelled to cross, not infrequently at considerable risk of 
life and limb from the locomotives which shot in and out 
of the railroad yards at all hours of the day and night, 
often with little warning. In addition, the smokestacks 
from its engine sheds were parallel in height with the 
windows of the church auditorium, through which 
smoke, cinders, and dust were constantly blown, while 
the hissing of steam and the hammering and other noises 
incident to locomotive repairs frequently drowned the 
music, the songs, and the voices of the pastor and others 
engaged in worship. Several of the leading lawyers of 
the Washington Bar to whom the doctor applied for 
legal relief declined the case, being of opinion that the 
Act of Congress which authorized the Railroad Company 
to erect such works and left the selection of a site to its 



118 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

own judgment, 'legalized' the nuisance; but eventually 
the doctor succeeded in having an action brought to test 
the question, which resulted in the famous decision by 
the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of 
Fifth Baptist Church vs. Baltimore & Potomac Railroad 
Company, 108 U. S., 317 — a case which has become a 
leading authority ever since for the proposition that 
invasion of the comfortable use and enjoyment of prop- 
erty is a 'taking,' in the sense of the Constitutional pro- 
hibition against the taking of property without compen- 
sation, and that, consequently, the legislative grant of 
power to establish the railroad repair shops was subject 
to the duty of compensating the adjoining property 
owners for any injury to the comfortable enjoyment of 
their property. The Railroad Company subsequently 
purchased the church property upon the terms at which 
it was offered to them before the litigation was con- 
cluded, namely, payment of its actual cost to the church — 
this after having been compelled to pay about $20,000 in 
damages for the maintenance of the nuisance prior to the 
purchase, aided by which funds the present Fifth Bap- 
tist Church property, valued at about $80,000, was con- 
structed, and which constitutes one of the most attract- 
ive, commodious, and desirable church buildings of the 
capital city." 

In 1904 Dr. Meador, in view of his advancing years, 
resigned as pastor, whereupon the church elected him 
Pastor Emeritus for the rest of his life, without decreas- 
ing his salary, and chose, as Active Pastor, Rev. Dr. 
Weston Bruner. Dr. Meador now served as he was able, 
his presence being especially desired when members, who 
had known him through the years, passed away. Just 
after an address, on one of these funeral occasions, he 
fell unconscious on the floor of the pulpit and died a 
few hours later. Thus his desire that he might die in 



CHASTAIN CLARK MEADOR 119 

the service of his church was realized. He passed away 
November 9, 1904. To-day the Fifth Street Church, 
which began as The Island Church, and which owes so 
much of its success, under God, to Dr. Meador, has the 
second largest Sunday school in Washington and main- 
tains eight laborers, namely, the pastor, the assistant, two 
missionaries in China, one in Africa, one in Persia, one 
in Kansas City, and one in Tampa, Fla. One of the 
China missionaries is pastor, at Wu Chow, of the Meador 
Memorial Baptist Church. 



THOMAS F. EDMONDSON 

1872-1904 

Within the bounds of the Lebanon and New River 
Associations the work of Thomas F. Edmondson was 
done. At the age of fifteen he made a profession of faith 
in Christ and was baptized into the fellowship of the 
White Top Baptist Church, Grayson County, Virginia. 
Two years later he was licensed to preach, and three years 
after his conversion he was ordained, the presbytery con- 
sisting of Rev. A. J. Hart, Rev. G. W. Pennington, and 
Rev. N. M. Blevins. He was the son of Dr. Isaac 
Edmondson, having been born August 7, 1872. After 
the public schools, the only educational preparation he 
had for his life work was a part of the session of 1896- 
97 at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louis- 
ville, Ky. On August 28, 1892, he was married to Miss 
Delilah H. Blevins; she, with five children, survived him. 
For eight terms he taught in the public schools, and, as a 
minister of the gospel, was pastor of these churches: 
White Top, Laurel, Grosses Creek, State Line, Pleasant 
View, and Apple Grove. In his obituary, by Rev. C. T. 
Taylor, in the Minutes of the General Association, he is 
thus described : "He was considered an able preacher, 
gifted as a revivalist, and a good organizer. He was a 
firm believer in foreign missions. He preached missions 
with power and contributed of his own means. He was 
a pure man, a loving husband and father, a true friend. 
His chief aim in life was the moral and religious eleva- 
tion of the people with whom he had to do." He died 
December 6, 1904, being laid low by that insidious dis- 
ease, consumption. 

120 



HARVEY HATCHER 
1834-1905 

Harvey Hatcher, the son of Henry Hatcher and the 
grandson of Rev. Jeremiah Hatcher, was born in Bed- 
ford County, Virginia, July 16, 1834. He was in almost 
every respect different from his younger brother, 
William Eldridge, of whom a sketch is found in this 
volume. Harvey was three inches taller than William, 
and while William was like the Lathams, Harvey was 
"a Hatcher from back in the primitive days of Careby 
in England." Harvey was "a sport; his temperament, 
his physical make-up, and his habits sent him afield. A 
horse was his glory, a dog was his companion, a gun was 
the triumph of all mechanism in his sight ; game, from 
the deer to the quail, commanded his tireless pursuit. 
. . . The chase set him wild ; the cry of the pack, no 
matter whose it was, broke him from everything else, 
and he would follow the dogs through the day and far 
into the dead of night." One day he was in the midst 
of dressing, not having put on his shoes, when a fox 
came into sight, hard followed by the dogs. When he 
came to himself he was "four miles from home, in the 
midst of the most fashionable and aristocratic part" of 
the community in which he lived. He was without vest 
or collar, and nothing was on his feet save the cuts and 
scratches, the blood and the dirt that his cross-country 
run had brought him. 

In 1854 the two brothers entered Richmond College. 
While the younger brother was gifted as a speaker, 
Harvey was "great on mathematics." Yet Harvey had 
aspirations to be a speaker, and after many trying experi- 

121 



122 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ences "became an exceedingly fluent, ready, self- 
possessed and humorous public speaker." Both brothers 
graduated in 1858, VV. S. Penick being one of their 
fellow-graduates. (In the sketch of Mr. Penick, in this 
volume, the list of the whole class is given.) After 
teaching for a season, Mr. Hatcher began his pastoral 
career at the Four Mile Creek Church, Henrico County, 
having in this field "marked success." During the War 
he was pastor to a very strong negro church and "had 
much joy in his work." When the War was over he 
was assistant to Dr. J. B. Jeter, pastor of the Grace 
Street Baptist Church, Richmond, and then for a year a 
State evangelist in Maryland, and then he became pastor 
of the Court Street Church, Portsmouth. He always 
had "an intense yearning for western life, and for a 
number of years was exceedingly happy in the pastorate 
of the churches of Keyesville and Moberly, Mo. He was 
later on called to Richmond, and served for several years 
what is now the Grove Avenue Church," known in that 
day as the Sidney Church. "It is due to Mr. Hatcher to 
say that he never felt himself quite adapted to the pastor- 
ate. He had a certain rugged candor which made him 
impatient under the restraints and confinement of the 
pastoral relation, and for the last half of his public life 
he resisted all efforts to bring him back to pastoral 
work." 

Through the suggestion and request of Dr. A. E. 
Dickinson, Mr. Hatcher was led to take up "pencil driv- 
ing," as he called it, for the press. He succeeded far 
beyond his hopes, but he reached his success by hard 
work, writing his pieces from three to five times. This 
work was first undertaken for the Religious Herald, but 
later he crossed over into North Carolina and wrote for 
the Biblical Recorder, and in 1882 went to Missouri and 
for two years helped Dr. William Harrison Williams, 



HARVEY HATCHER 123 

editor of the Central Baptist. In the fall of 1884 he 
moved to Georgia and bought an interest in the Christian 
Index. One morning in Atlanta he had a call from 
Dr. Benjamin Griffith, of the American Baptist Publica- 
tion Society. This visit led to Dr. Hatcher's beginning 
his work with the Philadelphia Society that was to last 
seventeen years. A branch was established in Atlanta, 
and Mr. Hatcher was connected for a time with this 
branch house and for a season with the branch in 
St. Louis. "In this special work he was exceedingly 
happy. His duties took him through many of the 
Southern States. He had a heart for fellowship and 
made friends wherever he went. He did not forget his 
work, for wherever he went his pleas were heard in favor 
of Baptist literature and Baptist principles. He was well 
known, and there always awaited him a joyous welcome, 
go where he might." Once, when invited by the South 
Carolina Baptist Convention to tell in thirty minutes 
about the work of his Society, he said : "Brethren, I can 
not tell you of all the glorious work of the Society in 
thirty minutes, nor in thirty hours, nor in thirty years, 
nor in thirty decades, nor thirty centuries." 

Dr. Hatcher was a man of great physical vigor. He 
was tall and had a finely proportioned figure. And he 
kept much of his splendid bodily strength to the end. 
His love for field sports never waned. When he was 
seventy-two he wrote : "Last season I was often in the 
fields and frequently brought down one with each barrel 
on the flush. My sight was so far preserved that I 
needed no glasses to aid me, and I could locate a flying 
quail as I did when I was fifty." His death was sudden 
and on Sunday ; he had preached at eleven o'clock in the 
Beaufort (South Carolina) Church; at four, in the Sea 
Island Hotel, without pain or struggle, the end came. 
Two days before, in a party of nine, down on Caliboga 



124 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Sound, the eighteen dogs had started a deer that came 
towards Dr. Hatcher. When the deer was within 
twenty-five feet of the venerable hunter there was a 
"keen crack of his gun" and the game was his. Among 
the party were Rev. C. C. Brown and Deacon Danner, 
of the Beaufort Church. His death was on January 15, 
1905. 

Dr. Hatcher was married twice. Two sons, Harvey 
Hatcher and Hally Hatcher, a daughter, Miss Frances B. 
Hatcher, and his second wife survived him. 



JOHN WILLIAM RYLAND 
1836-1905 

The oldest of the thirteen children of Joseph Ryland 
and his wife, Priscilla Courtney Bagby, was John Wil- 
liam Ryland. From the old home, "Marlboro," in King 
and Queen County, where he was born October 19, 1836, 
he went forth to Richmond College, from which institu- 
tion he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 
1858. His ordination to the gospel ministry took place 
at Bruington, his mother church. After two years of 
colporteur work in the mountains of Virginia he was, for 
the four years of the War, in the army, Rev. W. E. 
Wiatt being one of his comrades. On July 24, 1866, he 
was married by Elder John Pollard to Mrs. Lucy F. 
Roane (who was Miss Lucy F. Bagby), and in January 
of the following year he was called to the pastorate of 
Goshen Bridge (Rockbridge County) and Deerfield 
(Augusta County) Churches. On this field he remained 
for some five years, being for part of the time pastor 
also of the Craigsville and Williamsville Churches, and 
preaching at other places throughout the counties of 
Rockbridge, Bath, and Alleghany. In his report to the 
State Mission Board, in 1872, he wrote: "There is not a 
week in which I am not called upon to go to destitute 
neighborhoods to preach. The people seem to be hungry 
for the bread of life." In October, 1873, he was called 
to Hermitage and Zoar Churches in Middlesex County. 
After two years he gave up the Zoar Church and suc- 
ceeded Elder Thomas B. Evans in the pastorate of 
Olivet Church, King and Queen County. He served 
these churches, Hermitage and Olivet, until his death on 

125 



126 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

March 26, 1905. He had wished to die the pastor of 
these flocks, and so it was. A painful and insidious dis- 
ease that baffled the skill of physicians in his own county, 
Richmond, and Baltimore, kept him from active service 
for a year before the end came. On the very Sunday 
when his last appointment was to be met at Hermitage 
Church he departed this life. A few months after his 
death, Olivet Church, on the thirteenth anniversary of his 
pastorate, had a memorial service in his honor. A crayon 
portrait of the dead pastor was presented by Judge A. B. 
Evans, unveiled by Lucile (a granddaughter of Elder 
Ryland), and accepted on behalf of the church by Rev. 
W. W. Sisk. The church also placed a marble tablet in 
his honor on her walls. He was survived by his wife and 
his two sons, Walter H. and Willie Mason Ryland. 

One who knew him best of all says of Elder Ryland : 
"He was quiet, pure, unselfish, and true to his God and 
work. His aim was God's glory and the salvation of 
souls." In a notice of his death the Religious Herald 
said that he was "one of the most faithful, useful, trans- 
parent and lovable men we have ever known. He had no 
vaulting ambitions. His tastes were simple and his life 
was that of the quiet country pastor, who led his flock, 
under divine guidance and in constant dependence on 
divine power, into green pastures and beside the still 
waters. ... In all his sufferings he was brave, 
meek, cheerful, and uncomplaining." 



JOHN MOODY LAMB 

1821-1905 

The Religious Herald for April 20, 1905, gave its 
readers, in an article by Dr. J. W. Mitchell, the picture 
of a face wonderfully attractive by reason of its beautiful 
blend of intelligence and gentleness. This was the like- 
ness of Rev. John Moody Lamb, who, twelve days before 
the issue of the paper, on April 8, had passed away. He 
was born on June 5, 1821, in Charles City County, his 
father, John Lamb., being of English extraction and 
one of a large family of children. The mother, who was 
as frail and delicate as she was beloved, went to an early 
grave, leaving three children. Two of these children 
being otherwise cared for, the father and John were left 
alone in the home. This parent, a man of strong affec- 
tions and mind, gave the time, that his farm and books 
did not take, to the instruction of his son. He was a 
great reader and the owner of a fine library, but does not 
seem to have known child nature, and so the retiring boy 
grew up ignorant of the common events of life and apart 
from the world. At the age of seven he heard the 
servants talking of a marriage in the neighborhood, and 
ran to his father, asking: "What is marriage? Is it a 
high bridge or a deep ditch?" His father's answer must 
have puzzled the child : "It is often both, my son." 
Upon his elder brother's return home as a graduate of 
Hampden-Sidney College, he became the boy's teacher. 
So great was the pupil's admiration for the character of 
his instructor that in after-life he said : "I always 
regarded him with such love and reverence that I felt 
that I was unworthy to untie the latchet of his shoe." 

127 



128 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

When this teacher died, at the age of forty-two, it was 
said by one of his fellow-county men that any one in the 
community could have been better spared. At the age of 
seventeen John was converted, and baptized by Elder 
James Clopton in the Chickahominy River at Potter's 
Field near Mt. Pleasant Church. The presbytery that 
set him apart for the gospel ministry had as its members 
Drs. R. B. C. Howell and J. B. Jeter. About this time 
he was married to Miss Mary Christian, who is described 
as "one of the most godly and saintly of women." The 
churches that he served were Manoah, Mt. Pleasant, and 
Samaria, all in the Dover Association. After more than 
twenty-five years of this work he was obliged, because of 
ill health, to give up the pastorate. He continued, how- 
ever, to preach as long as he was able, and was active in 
the Sunday school until he could no more attend the 
services of the sanctuary. Rev. Dr. J. W. Mitchell, who 
knew him well, says of him : "As a scholar he was far 
superior to his day and generation. . He was 

not only a diligent student of the Scriptures, but also of 
the classics, and he became well versed in the best litera- 
ture. . . As a preacher he was mighty in the Scrip- 
tures. His sermons were well prepared, and 
were gems of exegesis, logic, and rhetoric. . . As 
a pastor he was instant in season and out of season." 

During the Civil War his comfortable home and his 
library were destroyed, his belongings "scattered to the 
winds and he carried off to a Northern prison." He 
knew not who would care for his wife, and when he 
returned home he had almost to begin life again, having 
no tools, no books, and no money, and his abode being a 
cabin, yet he never uttered a word about his disasters nor 
against his enemies. Although childless himself, he 
greatly loved children, being deeply interested in his 
brother's children and in the orphans whom he brought 



JOHN MOODY LAMB 129 

into his own home. One of those for whom he thus 
cared, to-day Judge Edmund Waddill, Jr., United States 
District Judge, was as his own son, giving him love, com- 
fort, and reverence. After the death of the wife of his 
youth he married Mrs. Susan B. Harwood, "a woman of 
rare beauty and spirit and piety, blended with inimitable 
merriment." 

One who knew him well writes thus of Mr. Lamb : 
"An American officer, describing the second inaugura- 
tion of Washington, said : 'In the pure serenity of moral 
integrity and grandeur he seemed to stand outside of 
physical self, and when he began : "I, George Washing- 
ton," my blood seemed to run cold, and every one around 
to start.' So I have "seen a congregation move when this 
man of God, with his ringing, wonderful voice, read at 
the burial of the dead those immortal, inspiring words 
of Paul: 'If after the manner of men'; he seemed to 
stand, pure soul, untrammeled by flesh, exalted by faith, 
in the presence of God, declaring his lordship over life 
and death. ... I lived close to his life, yet my 
perspective was good, and it is a perfect test of character 
that a man seems a heroic figure to those who shared his 
daily life; so he seemed to my husband and to me." 
Mr. John O. Otey, who was the lifelong friend of 
Mr. Lamb, and whom Mr. Lamb baptized in the Chicka- 
hominy River, probably at the spot where John Smith 
was captured, has given valuable help towards the 
preparation of this sketch. 



THOMAS W. LEWIS 
1822-1905 

Northern Piedmont Virginia was where Thomas W. 
Lewis was born, spent most of his life, and died. 
Madison Court House, that lies close to the Blue Ridge 
Mountains and perhaps twenty miles from a railroad, 
was his birthplace and the last earthly scene on which his 
eyes rested. From January 11, 1822, to May 16, 1905, 
a stretch of eighty-three years and four months, the path 
of this servant of God scarcely passed beyond the bounds 
of Madison and Culpeper Counties. Thomas B. Lewis 
and Catharine P. Gaines were his parents. When he was 
about ten years of age they, with their children, went to 
Ohio. What must such a trip, in the first quarter of the 
nineteenth century, have meant to a boy! Scarcely had 
two years passed when the family was retracing its steps 
to Virginia, but now they lacked the help of the father, 
for he had fallen on sleep in Ohio. The mother went 
with her children to her parents' home in Culpeper, and 
here Thomas attended school for several sessions. When 
he was about sixteen years old the family settled once 
more at Madison Court House, where, for one year, he 
had the advantages of an academy course. In 1839 he 
made a profession of religion and united with the Beth- 
car Baptist Church. After he had taught school and 
been a clerk for several years he decided to study medi- 
cine, and began to make his plans to carry out this 
resolve. His pastor and church, however, were con- 
vinced that he ought to preach. "He entered into their 
views, abandoned the store, turned away from the con- 
templated profession, and gave himself to teaching and 

130 



THOMAS W. LEWIS 131 

to preparing himself for the work of the ministry." His 
first pastorate, which was to last forty-five years, began, 
with Bethcar Church, in 1847. His ministry at Rapidan 
covered some thirty-five years, while his service at Good 
Hope and Thornton's Gap was not so protracted. In 
this day of short pastorates, what thoughts does such a 
record of long years of service awaken? His wife, who 
was Miss Mary Stark, and to whom he was married in 
1851, bore him eight children, all of them living to be 
grown. The necessity of caring for his own family and 
that of his mother kept him in the store and schoolroom 
so closely that he did not attend the general denomina- 
tional gatherings as much as doubtless otherwise he 
would have done. "He was especially successful as a 
builder of churches — a number now standing as memo- 
rials of his tact, zeal, and perseverance." For a short 
season he was a missionary of the State Board, doing 
good work. "Though not a practiced platform debater, 
he delighted to contend for his views around his own 
fireside," and his home was open in generous hospitality 
to his friends. Close to the beautiful "blue wall," and 
far from the hurry of the busy world, what seasons of 
fellowship were surely enjoyed around this preacher's 
hearthstone. "He was a man of fine intellect, read much, 
was a Baptist of the old, regular type, loved the great 
doctrines well, preached them forcibly, and left his 
congregation in good condition." 

The obituary of this good man, in the General Asso- 
ciation Minutes, which is unsigned, and from which the 
foregoing part of this sketch is almost wholly taken, 
closes thus : "His end came gradually, and though it was 
not viewed with rapture, there were no enslaving and 
humiliating desires to remain in the flesh ; yielding him- 
self in all things to Christ, his Redeemer, he fell on sleep. 



132 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

. . . Sunday, June 11, was set apart by Bethcar 

and Rapidan Churches to celebrate his memory; at this 
service Psalm 37 was read, D. M. Pattie offered prayer, 
and Rev. Charles A. Hall preached the sermon, his text 
being I Samuel 2:9 — "He will keep the feet of his 
saints." 



JOHN WYATT WARD 
1827-1905 

Even when the snows of many winters had given to 
Rev. John Wyatt Ward the hoary head, which is a 
crown of honor, there shone forth from his eyes a daunt- 
less courage and the flash of a perpetual youth. It is 
not hard to see, while looking on such a face, how he 
could be a good soldier, an inspiring teacher, and a 
devoted pastor, and he was all three. He was born in 
Nansemond County, . Virginia, January 22, 1827. He 
was baptized by Rev. J. G. Councill, and united with the 
Sycamore Church. He graduated at Georgetown Col- 
lege, Kentucky, in 1856, taking the degree of A. B., 
Dr. D. R. Campbell being president ; and at Madison, now 
Colgate University, in 1858. His ordination took place 
in August, 1858, at Portsmouth, and the first Sunday of 
the following month he preached his first sermon as the 
pastor of Mill Swamp Church (Portsmouth Associa- 
tion). He purchased a farm in the Isle of Wight County 
and made it beautiful with trees, rare shrubs, and a 
wealth of flowers. Yet from this lovely home he went 
forth, at the call of his country, and became chaplain of 
the 3d Virginia Regiment of Infantry, Kemper's 
Brigade, Pickett's Division. Upon his return from the 
War he was married to Miss Cassie Jones, "one of the 
most beautiful ladies in Southeastern Virginia," whose 
smile was to be the "light of his home" and her voice 
"the music of his pathway." Although frail physically, 
he worked as a pastor for a long series of years, and 
during a part of this time taught in his home a large 
school. The churches that he served as pastor were 

133 



134 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Antioch, Smithfield, Mill Swamp, Moore's Swamp, 
Surry Court House, and Central Hill, in the Portsmouth 
Association, and Atlantic, Broadway, Modest Town, 
and Chincoteague, in the Accomac Association. "He 
was a preacher of ability, clearness, and faithfulness. He 
possessed evangelistic gifts which he used with great 
effectiveness. . . . He exhibited the gospel which 
he preached by a long life of devout living and sincere 
piety. ... By his wide culture and happy facility 
for imparting knowledge he was a blessing to his com- 
munity." On the afternoon of May 31, 1905, he 
preached the funeral of one of the pupils in his school, 
the text being II Corinthians 5:10. The next morning 
he was found asleep in death. His widow, two sons, and 
a daughter survived him. 



JOHN POLLARD 
1839-1905 

John Pollard was born near Stevensville, King and 
Queen County, Virginia, November 17, 1839. His 
father was Colonel John Pollard, a distinguished citizen 
and attorney of that county, and his mother was Miss 
Juliet Jeffries, sister of Judge James Jeffries, who for 
many years presided upon the Circuit Court Bench in 
Tidewater. His ancestry included many men and women 
of prominence and .worth in the history of the colony 
and State. Their home has always been within a radius 
of fifty miles of Richmond, Va., and their names have 
always been identified with the progress of this part of 
the commonwealth. He loved his State with the same 
patriotic ardor of his forefathers, for there was no move- 
ment for public good which did not receive his hearty 
and active support. 

His father was a man of superlative force in public 
affairs no less than in home relations. His judgment, 
intelligence, and unswerving integrity were invaluable in 
all matters of public and private concern. The same 
sagacity which distinguished his ancestors in the making 
of the republic was manifested in Colonel John Pollard^ 
whose mother, Katherine Robinson, belonged to the dis- 
tinguished Robinson family which produced Christopher 
Robinson, President of the King's Council, and John 
Robinson, Speaker of the House of Burgesses. There 
were five sons and three daughters, who went out from 
the home well equipped by parental instruction and edu- 
cation in the best schools. Thomas, the eldest son, chose 
the ministry, but, after graduation at Columbian College. 

135 



136 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

died at Aiken, S. C, while on a trip in search of 
restored health. John, the second son, took up his older 
brother's chosen profession at an early age. His gentle- 
ness, genial spirit, and studious habits suggested that the 
step was a wise one. He received his early education at 
Stevensville Academy, and entered Columbian College, 
Washington, at the age of eighteen. Here he was gradu- 
ated before the age of twenty-one with the first honors 
of his class. Among his classmates were Hon. William 
L. Wilson, Postmaster-General under President Cleve- 
land, who was a native of the same county and a lifelong 
friend; Otis Mason, of the National Museum; T. Edwin 
Brown, of the Northern ministry, and James Nelson, of 
the Southern pulpit. While in Washington, during the 
stirring times from 1857 to 1861, he took great interest 
in the debates in Congress. His reminiscences of the 
great men of that day have been a source of pleasure and 
information to those around him. He was present when 
Charles Sumner delivered his famous speech on the 
''Barbarism of Slavery." He also heard Lincoln's 
inaugural address and saw the oath of office administered 
by Chief Justice Taney. 

Upon his graduation he was elected, in 1860, to a 
tutorship in Columbian College, where he taught and, at 
the same time, studied theology under the direction of 
Dr. George W. Samson, president of the college. In the 
spring of 1861, Virginia having seceded and war having 
been declared, the young teacher decided to cast his lot 
with his native State, so he resigned and returned to 
Virginia. Hermitage and Clarke's Neck Churches, 
Middlesex County, having called him, he accepted the 
call and settled near Saluda. During the Civil War, 
while not a soldier, Mr. Pollard was frequently at the 
front, carrying clothing and provisions to the soldier boys 
of his congregation and community. 



JOHN POLLARD 137 

In the summer of 1861 he married Miss Virginia 
Bagby, daughter of John Bagby, of Stevensville, and 
sister of Richard Hugh Bagby, George Franklin and 
Alfred Bagby. Through the fifty years of their wedded 
life she was a true helpmeet, presiding over his home 
with firmness and judgment. She survives him. 

In 1870 Dr. Pollard moved to Baltimore to become 
pastor of the Lee Street Baptist Church of that city. At 
the installation services the distinguished Dr. Richard 
Fuller, a Baltimore pastor, delivered the charge to the 
young pastor, and was his colleague for many years. 
Here he labored with marked success for a decade, and 
left a church, which had been weak and torn with 
troubles, strong and vigorous. His successors at this 
church were Dr. H. M. Wharton, Dr. E. M. Poteat, 
Dr. E. Y. Mullins, and Dr. Weston Bruner. While in 
Baltimore he was moderator of the Maryland Union 
Association. 

A call from the Leigh Street Church of Richmond 
brought him back to his native State. Here for six years 
he wrought with effectiveness and success, greatly 
endearing himself to the community, till, in 1886, he was 
elected to the Chair of English at Richmond College, 
succeeding the lamented Dr. A. B. Brown. The cause 
of education was very near his heart, and he was always 
active for its advancement. He took up his work at the 
college with the same enthusiasm and devotion that had 
marked his ministry. He was in these years a member 
of the Philological Society of this country, and always 
attended its sessions. He was a lifelong student, and his 
attainments in history, literature and theology, which 
were large, but enabled him to serve more efficiently his 
fellow-men. He served the college for fifteen years, 
until the summer of 1901, when he resigned to take up 
the quieter and less strenuous duties of a pastorate in 



138 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

the county of Caroline. He ministered to the churches 
of Bowling Green and Upper Zion on alternate Sundays, 
and soon became a force for the religious and social 
uplift of that community which will not soon be for- 
gotten. 

Dr. Pollard's early ministry was characterized by- 
abounding enthusiasm, industry, and studiousness. 
These qualities opened the hearts of both young and old 
to his influence, for he was the happy comrade with the 
one and the sympathetic friend with the other. Many 
young men were thus won for Christ and became His 
heralds. Many of his sons in the ministry are scattered 
over the country, and they acknowledge him as their 
guide and counselor in the beginning of life. When he 
took up city pastoral work his heart went out to the 
masses that he longed to uplift and enlighten. This was 
true, although his ministry began when social Christianity 
was not so much practiced and taught as it is now. He 
proclaimed the social aspect of the gospel, and was 
among the first to apply, from the pulpit, the principles 
of the Christian religion to all matters which concern 
the welfare of humanity, and he gave himself earnestly 
to any cause which had such a purpose in view. He fol- 
lowed his star and proclaimed aloud a gospel for the 
healing of the nations. He believed he was following in 
the footsteps of his Master, who said: "He hath 
anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has 
sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recover- 
ing of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are 
bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." 
This passage bore to him a meaning which embraced the 
physical as well as the spiritual life. The Saviour, he 
thought, exemplified this in his life on earth — "That they 
might have life, and have it more abundantly" — the life 
abundant here and hereafter. 



JOHN POLLARD 139 

In 1905, while preaching on a Sunday morning, he 
was stricken with paralysis, and was soon compelled to 
lay aside active service. From that time until his death, 
July 14, 1911, he made his home in Richmond, where the 
larger part of his active life had been spent, and where 
there were hosts of friends to love and honor him in his 
last years of ill health. Sorrows and joys were strangely 
mixed in his life, but the greatest sorrow that came was 
the one that took him from active service, for his was 
an earnest nature, to whom work and service to others 
was a joy. In these last years of waiting his patience and 
faith were wonderfully displayed, and have left a herit- 
age to those who love him. 

His was an active career, for his heart and hand were 
ever ready for the uplift of the fallen, the enlightenment 
of the masses, and for the removal of barriers that hin- 
dered the progress of religion and morality. It was 
given to him to see more clearly than some others the 
truth, and he was always in the advance guard for its 
defense. When others were holding back and fearing, 
he boldly attacked the strongholds cf evil and was at the 
front defending the banner of truth. He lived to see the 
final triumph of many causes which he was first to 
espouse and labor for. He was the author of the docu- 
ment which petitioned the Legislature to adopt the anti- 
dueling act, and was also a pioneer in the cause of local 
option when it was considered almost fanatical even to 
think of legislation in regard to the liquor traffic. He 
was able and courageous in debate when aroused on any 
question, but while firm in conviction, he was large in 
sympathy and genial in social bearing. His was a life 
both strong in love and fruitful in service, and he lives 
still in the hearts of thousands of friends, who honor 
him for the strength and purity of his earthly career. 



140 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

His children are Mary Ellen (Mrs. G. Harvey Clarke), 
Rev. Dr. E. B. Pollard, Juliet Jeffries (Mrs. J. W. 
Willis), Bessie Gray (Mrs. Millard F. Cox), Hon. John 
Garland Pollard, Annie Maud (Mrs. Robert Lee Tur- 
man), Lalla Rookh (Mrs. Otho P. Smoot). and Grace 
Nelson (Mrs. R. H. McCaslin). 



ALONZA CHURCH BARRON 

1841-1905 

While Georgia was the birthplace of Rev. Alonza 
Church Barron, and while under the soil of North Caro- 
lina his ashes rest, Virginia gave him his wife and had 
him within her borders for a number of years as a pastor. 
Less than two years after his birth, which took place at 
Columbus, May 3, 1841, his mother was left a widow. 
Her second husband proved unkind to her children, and 
so at the early age of nine Alonza was apprenticed to a 
printer. By reason of a precocious mind and a retentive 
memory he was already far more advanced in his studies 
than are most boys at his age. When he was a youth 
of fifteen a gentleman of means was so attracted to him 
by reason of his intelligence and his affable manners that 
he begged for the privilege of educating him for the 
Episcopal ministry. Although he was thus coveted for 
the Episcopalian ministry, and although he was named 
after a Presbyterian minister, nevertheless he became, 
during his college course, with the consent of his mother 
and his patron, a Baptist, and in due time a Baptist minis- 
ter. He was graduated at Howard College, Alabama, 
which institution, some years later, conferred upon him, 
almost at the same moment that he was receiving the same 
honor from Richmond College, the degree of Doctor of 
Divinity. The Civil War found him a faithful soldier in 
the Southern Army, where he contracted a disease which 
made him more or less of an invalid all the remainder of 
his life. In the last two years of the War he edited a 
paper in Atlanta, Ga. After some preparation he 
entered the ministry, and in 1868 became the pastor of 

141 



142 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

the Baptist Church of Tuskegee, Ala., from which town 
he moved, in 1870, to Montgomery, in the same State, to 
become the pastor of the Second Church of that city. 
His next charge was in Lexington, Va., one of the col- 
lege towns of the Old Dominion, where he labored for 
some three years. In 1876 he became pastor of the Cul- 
peper Court House Church, where he remained some 
seven years. His last pastorate in Virginia, at Berry- 
ville, lasted about two years, and from this town he went, 
in 1883, to Baltimore. In this city his work was of a 
twofold nature, for he was pastor of the Fulton Avenue 
Baptist Church and one of the editors of the Baltimore 
Baptist. In 1896 he ended his connection with the Balti- 
more Baptist and gave himself, once more, fully to the 
work of preaching. The church to which he now went, 
the Tryon Street Baptist Church, Charlotte, N. C, saw 
his earthly labors end and wept over his grave. On 
January 6, 1873, he was married to Miss Addie V. 
Mason, of Staunton, Va., and in Charlotte, in what he 
thought was the "prettiest parsonage in the State," he 
celebrated, with his wife, the thirteenth anniversary of 
their union. While in Charlotte he heard Dr. Moses D. 
Hoge, the distinguished Presbyterian divine, in a public 
address, give to the Baptists the credit of beginning the 
missionary movement, and, during this pastorate, after 
a visit of a month to Philadelphia, upon his return bap- 
tized Rev. Wm. L. Walker, a Presbyterian minister of 
Piedmont, S. C. Dr. Barron was very much beloved by 
all the people of the city of Charlotte, being called "The 
Shepherd of the City." All classes and denominations 
looked to him in their hours of sorrow and trial, and 
when his death came, all the stores of the city were closed 
at the hour of the funeral and the bells of all the churches 
were tolled. The Supreme Court of North Carolina, 
which was in session in Charlotte at that time, took a 



ALONZA CHURCH BARROX 143 

recess, entering on its record this statement : "We 
adjourned at this hour that we might attend, in a body, 
the funeral of a good man, Dr. A. C. Barron." Not a 
single member of the Court was a Baptist. Dr. Barron 
died at the home of his oldest daughter, Mrs. W. C. 
Graves, Somerset, Va., August 19, 1905. This sketch 
ought not to close without distinct reference to the genial 
spirit and deep piety of this man of God. A man may 
be good, but unless he has a winsome type of goodness 
he is not apt to receive such tokens of esteem as those 
that Charlotte gave to Dr. Barron. The secret springs 
of his life were deep, and "come upon him when you 
would and you would find him reading his Bible or upon 
his knees in prayer." In view of this side of his life and 
of the fact that he had magnetism as a speaker, it is not 
to be wondered that he had power in evangelistic work. 



JOHN THOMPSON RANDOLPH 
1825-1905 

"Verdant Lawn," a beautiful country home some three 
miles from Charlottesville, and not far from Carter's 
Mountain, was for his whole married life, a period of 
over fifty years, the home of Rev. John Thompson Ran- 
dolph. He and his wife, who was Miss Annie M. Farish, 
the only daughter of Rev. William P. Farish, kept up the 
traditions which had made this country-seat famous for 
hospitality and the scene of blessed fellowship among 
many of the most choice spirits of Virginia Baptists. It 
is not often the case with preachers that they never, for 
over half a century, change their home, but so it was 
with Mr. Randolph. His entrance into the ministry was 
brought about through the development of his gifts as 
he preached to the colored people, who belonged, in large 
numbers, to the Charlottesville Baptist Church. The 
churches to which he ministered, all in the Albemarle 
Association, Liberty, Effort, Bethany, Mt. Eagle, B. M., 
and Lime Stone, were within striking distance of his 
home. In addition to his work at these churches, for 
many years, on fifth Sundays, he preached in the 
meeting-house at Milton, "one of the oldest places in 
Albemarle County, and at one time a rival of Charlottes- 
ville for the location of the University of Virginia." 
The salaries that his churches paid him were distinctly 
small, but in his latter years, when his health failed, 
many of those to whom he had ministered in spiritual 
things shared with him their abundance in temporal 
things. 

He was born in Middlebrook, Augusta County, Vir- 
ginia, in March, 1825, his parents being John Randolph 

144 



JOHN THOMPSON RANDOLPH 145 

and Mary Frazier. He was a grandson of Thompson 
Randolph and a great-grandson of Lieutenant John Ran- 
dolph and Margaret Thompson. His father was a man 
of affairs and of considerable wealth. It is said that he 
was related to the famous John Randolph "of Roanoke" : 
certainly he came of good stock, and there was "a 
decided streak of the Cavalier in his make-up." While 
not without his peculiarities and eccentricities, he was 
gentle, easy of approach, and open to advice. He was 
a student at the University of Virginia, and for his alma 
mater to the end of his life he had a most ardent affec- 
tion, and enjoyed attending from year to year the Com- 
mencement exercises, not omitting the alumni banquet, 
which function appealed to his genial and social nature. 
The excellent library of his father-in-law, which came to 
him, grew under his hands and was always a joy to him. 
His ordination to the ministry took place in 1862, and, 
remembering his bent of mind and his antecedents, it is 
not surprising that his sermons were often marked by 
excellent thought; indeed, so good a judge as Prof. 
H. H. Harris said that he had heard Mr. Randolph 
preach sermons the subject matter of which would have 
done credit to Dr. John A. Broadus. His early training 
in the management of business matters influenced all his 
subsequent life, helping him, doubtless, to be the enthusi- 
astic treasurer for years of the Albemarle Association, 
never absent from its sessions, and a faithful member 
of the Board of Visitors of the Miller Manual Labor 
School of Albemarle County. He was half owner, with 
his cousin, Wm. A. Frazier of Staunton, of the Rock- 
bridge Alum Springs. 

His last years were marked by suffering and distress. 
The wife of his youth preceded him by two years to the 
grave. The old homestead was sold and he moved to 



146 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Charlottesville to live with one of his sons. At length, 
in his eighty-first year, on Sunday, November 26, 1905, 
in the home of his son, Thos. F. Randolph, while the 
congregation he had so long loved so well was gathering 
for the evening worship, he was called away to the con- 
gregation that never breaks up. Besides the son just 
mentioned he was survived by these children : Dr. John 
Randolph, Mr. Walter Randolph. Another son, Dr. 
W. P. F. Randolph, died before his father. 



JOSEPH RYLAND MURDOCH 
1873-1906 

Not until that day when we shall read the meaning 
of our tears will it be given us to understand why young 
men of splendid promise are laid low by the hand of 
death. Such a young man was Rev. Joseph Ryland 
Murdoch. He was born in Maryland, April 10, 1873, 
and died at Ontario, Cal., January 5, 1906. His early 
life was spent in King and Queen County, Virginia, and 
at Bruington Church, in this county, he was baptized 
when he was thirteen years of age, on August 28, 1896, 
and when twenty-four ordained. On this latter occa- 
sion the presbytery was made up of the following minis- 
ters: Dr. Charles H. Ryland, Dr. H. A. Bagby, Dr. B. 
Cabell Hening, Rev. J. W. Ryland, Rev. Alexander 
Fleet, and Dr. F. B. Beale. Before this he had studied 
for two years at Richmond College and then at Crozer 
Theological Seminary. Rev. W. B. Dulin, who was his 
roommate both sessions at Richmond College, says of 
him: "He was so thoughtful of others' interests and so 
diligent in serving others that his influence was felt in 
the classroom, on the campus, in the dining-hall, and 
wherever he went." On June 12, 1901, he was married 
to Miss Anna B. Gilchrist, of Philadelphia, Pa. After 
a pastorate of two years at Berlin, N. J., and another 
of the same duration at Kennet Square, Pa., he took 
charge of the church at Winchester, Va. Under his care 
this church prospered greatly, especially along the line of 
missionary growth, and when, after two years, his fail- 
ing health made it necessary for him to resign, the flock 
was sorely grieved. A handsome parsonage had been 

147 



148 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

built, and the pastor's wife, faithful and winning, had 
endeared herself to all by her labors of love. He was 
pastor at La Junta, Colo., for one year, and then the 
end came. His life was "marked by strong character- 
istics — integrity and singleness of purpose; great indus- 
try combined with cheerful courage; helpfulness with 
intense concern for the Master's work; all softened by 
resignation to his Father's will and luminous with the 
faith and hope of the gospel." 



LODOWIC RALPH MILBOURNE* 
1855-1906 

It was somewhere about 1831 that a majority of the 
ministers of the Accomac Association adopted the high- 
est Calvinistic doctrines and taught and preached them 
whenever occasion permitted, and instead of exhorting 
sinners to repentance, some of the more advanced, we are 
told, absolutely refused to preach the gospel to sinners, 
and opposed all missionary efforts. Among the leading 
ministers who opposed this higher Calvinism and anti- 
missionary spirit was the Rev. Levin Dix. He, with 
Rev. William Laws, laid the foundation for the present 
prosperity and progress of the Baptists on the Eastern 
Shore of Virginia. 

Father Dix, as he was lovingly called in those days of 
battle and struggle for the truth, had two children, a 
son, who walked in his father's footsteps and became a 
minister of the gospel, useful and blessed in his day ; a 
daughter, named Amory, who married Mr. James Mil- 
bourne, of Somerset County, Maryland. Lodowic Ralph 
Milbourne, the child of this marriage, was born January 
18, 1855. Amory Milbourne, in her devout Christian 
character and beautiful life, had the mantle of her father 
to fall on her. At her child's birth she consecrated him 
to Christ and prayed that he might become a preacher 
of the gospel like his grandfather and his uncle. Mrs. 
Milbourne died when her child was very young. The 
old colored woman, who was Mr. Milbourne's house- 
keeper for a long time after his wife's death, loved God 

*Save for slight omissions this is as it was written by Dr. F. R. 
Boston. 

149 



150 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

and often spoke to the little boy about his sainted mother 
and her prayers for him that he might become a preacher 
of Christ. 

Dr. O. F. Flippo was pastor of the Rehoboth Baptist 
Church which the family attended. He says, knowing 
the lad well through these years, he never knew anything 
of him but what was pure and good. One who had been 
very intimate with him writes: "I have often marveled 
at the flowering of such a character and life, but I sup- 
pose heredity was strong and God meant that the traits 
of the Elder Levin Dix and the pure piety of his 
daughter, Amory, should reappear to bless another 
generation in Lodowic Ralph Milbourne." 

During the year of 1873, while Rev. L. D. Paulding 
was pastor of the Rehoboth Baptist Church, Rev. James 
Nelson, D. D., now President of the Woman's College of 
Richmond, helped in a meeting of days. Among the 
converts of that meeting was young Milbourne. From 
the very beginning of his Christian life he consecrated 
himself to the work of the church. He was soon made 
superintendent of the Sunday school. In this capacity, 
and in many other ways, he served his church faithfully 
until he went to the Crozer Theological Seminary to pre- 
pare himself for the gospel ministry. This was in 1878. 
He was graduated in 1881. 

I was the pastor of the Baptist Church in Hampton, 
and on my recommendation the State Mission Board 
called Brother Milbourne to take charge of the work in 
Newport News. Last summer I visited the First Baptist 
Church, of Newport News. As I looked over that splen- 
did building I went back in memory to the past, the 
coming of Milbourne and his young wife. The little red 
building in which he commenced to preach was a union 
chapel for all denominations. His ordination was at the 
old Denbeigh Church, Warwick County, July 14, 1881, 
Dr. R. W. Cridlin, then of Portsmouth, taking part, and 
I delivering the charge to the candidate; then came 



LODOWIC RALPH MILBOURNE 151 

the organization of this First Baptist Church, and then 
the crushing sorrow in the death of his young wife. As 
I looked at this great church and its grand work for God, 
and the other Baptist churches of the city growing and 
prosperous, I said to myself : "All this mighty work was 
started by my friend and brother, L. R. Milbourne. 
Does not this illustrate that great saying of the Apostle 
John, 'And their works do follow them' ?" 

It was in 1884 that the Luray Baptist Church called 
him to be their pastor. This they did without seeing and 
hearing him. He entered upon his labors with them in 
April and continued until September, 1889. During this 
time he was pastor of the young church at Marksville, 
now Stanley, near Luray, and he also organized the 
church at Rileyville, besides doing a great deal of State 
Mission work in the country around. These two young 
churches were especially dear to him. He frequently 
revisited them and held meetings, and was largely instru- 
mental in bringing about a change of location which was 
of vital importance to Stanley. Brother Milbourne was 
greatly blessed in his pastorate at Luray. His ministry 
was marked by the erection of practically a new church 
building and still more by the greatest revival ever 
known in that region, when about one hundred were 
added to his church and the whole country was visited 
by a great religious awakening. It is said that in all 
Page County there is no name more sincerely loved than 
his, and it is fitting that his last earthly resting place 
should be there in the land he loved. 

While pastor at Luray he married Miss Virginia A. 
Strickler, a highly educated and cultured lady, who made 
him a noble and faithful wife, and built again a home 
for him, which had been broken by death, at Newport 
News. Five sons were the fruit of this happy marriage. 
At the time of this writing Mrs. Milbourne is a teacher 
in the Charles Town Graded and High School. The 



152 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

sons are: Ralph Maclaren Milbourne, Lodowic James 
Milbourne, Harvey Lee Milbourne, Drummond Fairfax 
Milbourne, and Roger Williams Milbourne. 

In 1889 he became pastor at Rockville and Barnesville, 
Md., and later of Upper Seneca Church. He finally 
became pastor of Rockville alone. But he was always a 
State missionary, and very soon some of his labors 
resulted in the formation of Travilah Baptist Church, 
1894. He erected a building for this church, also for 
Derwood mission, a point near Rockville, where he sus- 
tained preaching, prayer-meeting, and Sunday-school 
services. Here, as everywhere, his ministry was crowded 
with labors. Among those whom he baptized at Rock- 
ville was Miss Elizabeth Haney, now a missionary in 
San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Here, too, he greatly endeared 
himself to his churches and many friends. In December, 
1897, he became pastor at Charles Town, W. Va. His 
pastorate here was marked by solid success, steady 
growth of membership, and perfect organization. The 
finances are no longer a problem. The missionary con- 
tributions increased from less than one hundred dollars 
a year to a reliable average of over three hundred 
dollars. He engineered the War claim to a successful 
issue. A new pipe organ has been put in, and the interior 
of the church and Sunday-school room has been remod- 
eled. His church showed their high appreciation of his 
service by their loving and faithful devotion to him in 
his long sickness and finally at his death, which took 
place February 8, 1906. 

Brother Milbourne was closely identified with the 
work of the Shenandoah Association. He was clerk for 
four years, then president for two. His influence 
widened steadily, and many avenues of interest were 
quickened by the throb of his earnest and vigorous per- 
sonality. It seemed that his life grew ever more strenu- 
ous; 



LODOWIC RALPH MILBOURNE 153 

labors. When nature gave the signal of distress and 
friends and physicians urged rest, still the eager spirit 
urged him on as if with resistless inner force. Of his 
whole life and character the dominant notes were joy, 
hope, and love. The joy of the Lord was indeed his 
strength. He was an optimist under all circumstances. 
He lavished love, not only on his nearest, but also upon 
a large number of friends, whom he delighted to serve, 
and upon the whole Christian brotherhood. The key- 
note of his ministry was faithfulness. One friend speaks 
of his purity, another of his sincerity, one paper of the 
clearness and force of his convictions. All speak of his 
geniality. 

His intellectual traits are not overlooked in dwelling 
upon his moral and social qualities. Dr. Hopkins, the 
pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Charles Town, 
paid a public tribute to his ability as a thinker, declaring 
that "his clear grasp of theological truth gave force, 
point, and power to his preaching." His mind acted 
with great quickness and precision. Brother Milbourne 
longed for symmetrical development, and wished his 
words to be just the expression of his manhood and to 
carry just the force of his everyday personality. Elo- 
quence as such he did not strive for. It was in dealing 
with men and in bringing things to pass that his strength 
was most apparent. He had great development in public 
usefulness in these last years. He was modest and 
unselfish. He carried out the injunction, "in honor 
preferring one another." In consequence of all these 
traits he was signally rich in friends. Every field that 
he served was full of them, and Charles Town, which 
knew him last, and perhaps best of all, honored him to 
a man. The loyal devotion of his church is a striking 
tribute. A monument will soon stand over his grave, and 
upon it will be inscribed just this : ''A minister of 
Christ, faithful and well beloved." 

,,r , t 7 F. R. Boston. 

Warrenton, Va. 



WADE BICKERS BROWN 
1871-1906 

In Culpeper County, Virginia, Rev. Wade Bickers 
Brown was born April 28, 1871, his parents being James 
R. Brown and Sarah Elizabeth Bickers. "As a boy he 
was quiet, studious, and prompt in the performance of 
every duty," and at the age of fifteen was baptized into 
the fellowship of Bethel Church, Culpeper County, by 
Rev. T. F. Grimsley. After his public-school days he 
was a student, first at Richmond College and then, much 
later, at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 
Louisville. While at the former institution he gave his 
vacations to colporteur work in the Shenandoah Associa- 
tion, preaching as occasion offered. In 1892 he was 
called to a field in the Middle District, the churches being 
Matoaca and Gill's Grove. Later he was pastor of 
Woodlawn (Middle District Association) and Ettrick 
(Portsmouth Association). After some years in these 
fields and two as pastor of the Second Baptist Church, 
Newport News, he spent two years in study at the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville. 
During his vacations he did supply work in North and 
South Dakota, and, being impressed with the need there 
was in the Northwest of Protestant ministers, decided to 
give his life to that section of our country. In accord 
with this resolve he was first pastor at Bangor, Wis., 
where he did a lasting work. His next pastorate was at 
Hamilton, N. Dak. Subsequently he had charge of the 
Central Baptist Church, Green Bay, Wis., and it was 
while he was here that he was married, on July 24, 
1901, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Bruce, daughter of the 

154 



WADE BICKERS BROWN 155 

late Rev. Silas Bruce, of Culpeper County, Virginia. 
"The work in the Northwest is slow and discouraging. 
At that time there were not more than 20,000 Baptists 
in Wisconsin. There is an unceasing unrest and moving, 
so that churches are continually going out of existence. 
These difficulties helped to strengthen and develop 
him. . . . He was a hard student, and his sermons 
improved with each year." Perhaps the climate was too 
severe for him ; at any rate his health failed and he was 
obliged to seek a place where the weather was less rigor- 
ous and where he could be much out of doors. He 
accepted, in December, 1904, a call to a field in the 
Lebanon Association, in Southwest Virginia, made up 
of the following churches : Chilhowie, Riverside, Glade 
Spring, and Friendship. It was, however, too late to 
save his life, and after a year he passed away, his death 
taking place on February 28, 1906, at his father's home 
in Culpeper County. His wife and one child, Margaret 
Bruce Brown, survived him. The funeral service was 
conducted by his old pastor, Rev. T. F. Grimsley. Mr. 
M. M. Morriss, of Glade Spring, wrote as follows about 
Mr. Brown: "... His brief life was crowded 
with unselfish work; his convictions, as to the value of 
time, sent him forward to his self-imposed tasks with an 
impetuosity unexampled in the observations of this writer. 
The success of his ministry in this Association is a 
demonstration of the wisdom of his methods and the 
sincerity of his purpose." 



AUSTIN EVERETT OWEN 
1837-1906 

Austin Everett Owen came of Welsh and French 
stock. These elements were splendidly blended, and 
manifested themselves in a personality striking and 
strong. The Welsh are the folk who have never been 
subdued. They retreated to the high hills and have 
remained unconquered, rugged, independent, and staunch. 
The French are suave and quick-passioned and lovers of 
art. Dr. Owen's mother was of French Huguenot stock 
that came to Virginia in 1685. His father was of the 
Welsh strain that had come to Powhatan County even 
sooner. Dr. Owen had the original ruggedness of his 
father's family and all of the refined culture of the 
French strain. He was at once strong yet gentle, fiery 
yet tender, daring yet shrinking, severe yet lenient, 
jagged yet smooth, a flaming, burning, consuming 
evangel of the gospel, while at the same time he was a 
wooing singer of the old, old love story of the cross. 
These elements were so commingled in him that men 
were pleased to call him God's Christian gentleman. 

He was born on a farm in Powhatan County, Septem- 
ber 27, 1837. He lived the life of a poor country lad, 
with little opportunity for learning except as he touched 
the country schoolmaster and the houses of cultured 
gentlemen. He was converted at nineteen, of which 
event he himself says : "I was fixed in the opinion that 
I would soon sink into hell, but I said I would serve the 
Lord because it was right. Then in the western heavens 
I saw a black cloud; soon it was torn in two; a white 
shaft ran down its bosom, as sometimes we see a streak 

156 



AUSTIN EVERETT OWEN 157 

of lightning split the storm cloud. The two clouds 
looked like black mantles fringed with white balls; then 
a hand, beautiful in its whiteness, separated the edges 
and a face as white as the light came through the open- 
ing. That vision filled me with rapture, and I broke into 
laughter. That surpassingly glorious face of the Saviour 
of men remained but a few seconds, but I saw it; it 
thrilled me with rapture, it filled me with delight. . . . 
Changes have come to me. I have stood before the 
public forty-seven years telling 'the story of Jesus and 
his love.' I have lived in the smiles of friends and have 
borne the frowns of foes, but that face is as distinctly 
before me now as when I first beheld it." 

He went to Richmond and became a house painter. 
He was a member of the Leigh Street Baptist Church. 
He showed to his brethren such marked gifts that they 
suggested that he enter Richmond College as a minis- 
terial student and a beneficiary of the Education Board 
of Virginia. There came upon him the overwhelming 
conviction that he ought to preach, and he entered college 
the next year. More than once he referred to his first 
appearance on the campus of the college. With his small 
trunk in his hands he struggled up the long walk amid 
the derisive jeers of the better-to-do students. Cha- 
grined and outraged and keenly hurt by their taunts, the 
young man of scarce twenty years set his heart upon the 
high honors of the college, and twenty years after this 
first awkward entrance he was elected one of its trustees. 
and remained in this relationship to Richmond College 
until his death. Dr. Owen was a student of the college 
from 1857 until 1861, at the breaking out of the War. 
As he left the college building, among the last to leave 
the dormitory, already the dormitories were occupied by 
the Lynchburg Artillery. During the summer months 
of these college days he led the life of a colporteur for 



158 VIRGINIA BAPTIST. MINISTERS 

the distribution of tracts and Baptist literature. He tells 
of his treatment in the city of Petersburg: Once 
denounced from the pulpit of a prominent Methodist 
pastor, once driven out of the house of a gentleman for 
selling tracts on Baptist doctrines, and once, having been 
informed against for questionable conduct, he shows 
that the sole basis of all of this vilification was but an 
earnest and tireless and most successful prosecution of 
the work which he had been sent to do by the Board for 
the distribution of tracts for the Baptists of Virginia. 
During these colportage days he formed the lifelong 
companionship of the brilliant C. T. Bailey, of the 
Biblical Recorder of North Carolina. 

At the close of the college Dr. Owen was called to 
Reedy Creek Church in Brunswick County and Malone's 
Church in Mecklenburg; afterwards to Wilson's or Cut- 
Banks Church in Dinwiddie, and to Fountain's Creek in 
Greensville. These churches were widely separated, and 
it was necessary to ride from one to the other on horse- 
back. He left his field for Richmond to be ordained by 
the Leigh Street Church. J. B. Solomon, Robert Ryland, 
J. B. Jeter, J. L. Burrows, and Wm. E. Hatcher com- 
posed the presbytery that ordained him to the ministry 
in November, 1861. He was married to Miss Henrietta 
Hall, of Brunswick County, in December, 1866. From 
this union there were born ten children. The children 
now living are : Richard Clement Owen, Mrs. M. P. 
Claud, Mrs. John Freeman, Mrs. J. E. Button, Mrs. 
W. R. Moore, and William Russell Owen. For ten years, 
in fertile and wealthy Brunswick and contiguous 
counties, Dr. Owen spent the life of a busy and success- 
ful country pastor, serving at various times, in addition 
to the four churches already named above, Hebron, New- 
ville, Hicksford, and High Hills. In these ten years 
new houses of worship were built, the churches he served 



AUSTIN EVERETT OWEN 159 

were greatly strengthened, and the fame of Mr. Owen 
spread to other parts of Virginia, so that in 1871 the 
Court Street Baptist Church of Portsmouth, even then 
one of the strong churches of the State, called him unani- 
mously to the pastorate. 

It was in this pastorate of twenty-seven years that 
Dr. Owen came before the Baptists of Virginia as one 
of the prominent leaders. When, as a young man of 
thirty-four, Dr. Owen assumed the pastorate of Court 
Street Church, his was the only Baptist Church in Ports- 
mouth, and there were but three hundred Baptists. 
When he left the pastorate of this church, in 1898, there 
were five churches and about 2,000 Baptists in the city. 
During this pastorate many honors came to him. He 
was elected to the Presidency of the General Association 
of Virginia two terms, one term Vice-President of the 
Southern Baptist Convention; Doctor of Divinity was 
conferred upon him by Baylor University; he was made 
Grand Chaplain of Virginia Odd Fellows ; was elected 
Trustee to Richmond College and Virginia Institute, and 
for sixteen years was Vice-President of the Foreign 
Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention 
for Virginia. On resigning Court Street Church, in 
1898, he accepted the Presidency of Ryland Institute for 
Young Ladies, at the same time holding the pastorate of 
the Grace Baptist Church of Norfolk. After three years 
he was called back to Portsmouth to the South Street 
Church, which was established while he was pastor of the 
mother church. He became Editor of the Gospel 
Worker about this time. In a few years the Portsmouth 
Association called him to be its General Evangelist, a 
compliment of surpassing beauty, and while in this office, 
the beloved Bishop, the honored Nestor, the recognized 
leader of Tidewater Baptists, he died in the strength of 
his powers. 



160 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Upon his death, which occurred May 4, 1906, a spon- 
taneous movement was begun in Portsmouth, the scene 
of his life's labors, to erect a monument by the entire 
people of the city. The movement sprang out of a 
Methodist church, and the city and his noble old church, 
the Court Street, built him a monument, an imposing- 
shaft of granite, that marks his grave. His lifelong 
wish was gratified : "I was glad to go back to Ports- 
mouth," he wrote just before his death ; "I had long lived 
among the people and loved them well. Some of my 
children were born in that city and two of them sleep in 
its cemetery, and all that is mortal of my frame will lie 
on the banks of the Elizabeth and be lulled to long repose 
by the music of its waves." He often expressed the con- 
viction that his clear voice, a good memory, a fine sense 
of humor, and God's using an ordinary country boy made 
him the successful preacher that he was. 

Wm. Russell Owen. 



THOMAS BENTON SHEPHERD 
1836-1906 

This sketch is little more than the obituary, in slightly 
different form, written by Dr. Julian Broaddus for the 
General Association Minutes. That section of Virginia, 
the Valley and northern Piedmont, that was his birth- 
place, was, in the main, the scene of the labors of 
Rev. Thomas Benton Shepherd. Before his death his 
name had come to be a household word throughout the 
Shenandoah Valley.' He first saw the light in Clarke 
County, December 23, 1836, his parents being Park 
Shepherd and Elizabeth Gaunt Shepherd. His father, a 
man of sterling character and large means, was for many 
years a consistent and interested member of the Berry- 
ville Baptist Church ; his mother, who died when he was 
only four years old, dedicated him, in her last hours, to 
God's service. After this no other vocation ever seemed 
to have any attraction for him. In 1852 he was baptized 
by the Rev. H. W. Dodge and became a member of the 
Berryville Baptist Church. Before long he began to 
exercise his gifts as a public speaker, and in 1854 entered 
Columbian College. During his life at Columbian he was 
pastor of a colored church in Alexandria. From Wash- 
ington he went to Greenville, S. C, as a student of the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, being one of the 
twenty-six men who formed the student body the first 
year of the Seminary's existence. Ten of these men 
were from Virginia, namely : J. Wm. Jones, C. H. Toy, 
C. H. Ryland, R. B. Boatwright, W. J. Shipman, H. E. 
Hatcher, W. C. Caspari, Jno. W. Harrow, J. D. Witt, 
and T. B. Shepherd. During the session of the Potomac 

161 



162 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Association, in 1858, at Berryville, Mr. Shepherd was 
ordained, the presbytery being composed of these minis- 
ters: E. Kingsford, H. W. Dodge, W. F. Broaddus, 
Dr. Hayes, and the Herndons. At the same time Samuel 
Rodgers and Richard Mallory were ordained ; the 
former, a young man of great promise, died early, and 
the latter drifted from one denomination to another, and, 
if still alive, is somewhere in the North. For something 
like half a century Mr. Shepherd gave himself to the 
ministry of the word. About seven or eight years of 
this period were spent in a pastorate at Smithfield, Va., 
the churches served during the remainder of the time 
being Berryville, Ketocton, Bethel, Rockland, Charles 
Town, Marshall, Millwood, Waterford, Pleasant Vale, 
and Front Royal. Rockland he organized and served for 
more than twenty years. He passed to his reward June 
18, 1906. 

"As a preacher he was clear, strong, persuasive, and 
pathetic. The gospel fell from his lips with no uncertain 
sound. He was orthodox from center to circumference, 
and loved to preach the gospel as did his fathers. He 
had a poetical turn of mind, and often charmed his 
hearers by the beautiful language in which he clothed his 
thoughts. Like the great apostle, he gloried in the cross 
of Christ and the great love of God in the unspeakable 
gift of his son, the dear Saviour, and, in telling the old, 
old story, he pleaded with such tenderness and pathos 
that many souls were won for Christ under his ministry. 
In private life he was dignified, courteous, and winning 
in manner: always a welcome guest in the homes of the 
lowly and poor, as well as among the cultured and refined. 
. He was eminently a spiritually minded man, 
and, as the end approached, he seemed to have a vision 
similar to that of Stephen, and the light of it lingered on 
his face until he quietly and peacefully fell asleep." 



JAMES HESS 
1825-1906 

The New Lebanon Association was the field of .labor in 
which Rev. James Hess spent his ministry. Here he 
served, at one time or another, and for periods of differ- 
ent length, these churches : Philadelphia, Russell's Fork, 
Thompson's Creek, Oak Grove, Copper Ridge. The span 
of his life was from May 3, 1825, to August 4, 1906. 
For forty years he was a professed follower of Christ, 
and for thirty-five years he preached the story of redeem- 
ing love. His membership was with the Oak Grove 
Church. He was in the habit of attending the New 
Lebanon Association, but he does not seem to have 
attended the General Association. 



163 



BENJAMIN CARTER JAMES 
1861-1906 

That disease which works such havoc in the ranks of 
men, typhoid fever, and which has seemed to be especi- 
ally fatal in our mountain sections, laid low the stalwart 
form of Rev. Benjamin Carter James, when, in his forty- 
fifth year, he seemed at the very zenith of his power and 
usefulness. The mystery of such a death makes the more 
evident the Christian's blessedness in having knowledge 
of God's merciful care of all things. Death ended a 
pastorate at Keystone and Graham which, though only 
about a year and a half in length, was rich in blessed 
fruit, and, in the opinion of many, the finest service of 
this preacher's life. Soon after he reached this field, 
ground had been broken for a new meeting-house, and on 
the second Sunday of April, 1906, the new Keystone 
Church, "in all its furnishings easily the most complete 
and attractive house of worship in the Elkhorn Valley," 
was dedicated, the whole debt being provided for before 
the services of the day were over. A parsonage, to be 
finished before the end of the year, was next planned. 
The great mineral and lumber resources of this section, 
and the multitudes gathered for work in these mountains, 
appealed strongly to this energetic preacher. He had 
given up a successful business career, while living for a 
season in Texas, to enter the ministry, and doubtless his 
mercantile aptitudes were a help to him as he came into 
touch with all sorts and conditions of men in the West 
Virginia mountains. 

Before going to West Virginia Mr. James had been 
pastor at Pulaski. While there he held a meeting at the 

164 



BENJAMIN CARTER JONES 165 

church's Mt. Olivet mission which resulted in the bap- 
tism of nineteen persons, seven of whom were buried 
with Christ in baptism in a running stream (the baptis- 
tery was undergoing repairs), a new scene, the pastor 
believed, to many in the large crowd. His ordination 
took place in King William County, July 4, 1893, and his 
first pastorate was at Sharon and Colosse Churches, in 
King William County, Virginia, where for seven years 
he labored. His preparation for the ministry was made 
at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, 
Ky. At the age of thirteen years he had been baptized 
into the fellowship of the Wilderness Church by Rev. 
W. A. Hill. He was born at Bristerburg, Fauquier 
County, Virginia, July 21, 1861, the first year of the 
Civil War, his parents being Benjamin Hiter James and 
Nancy Maria James. After an illness of a few weeks 
he passed away at Graham, Va., on Friday, November 
2, 1906, and the following Sunday the funeral services 
were held at Pamplin City, Va., being conducted by 
Rev. S. H. Thompson, assisted by Rev. J. J. Cook, Rev. 
S. R. Winn, and Rev. P. T. Warren. The burial took 
place in the family cemetery of Hon. John W. Harwood. 
His daughter, Ellen Holmden Harwood, who became 
Mr. James' wife November 24, 1897, survived her 
husband. 



ALFRED ELIJAH DICKINSON 
1830-1906 

The Dickinson family has for several centuries given 
to England and America many distinguished and useful 
men and women. The founder of the family is believed 
by careful students to have been Walter of Caen, whose 
name appears with those who came over to England from 
Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066, and 
whose name also is found upon the battle roll of Hast- 
ings. "According to an English record, in order to 
Anglicize his name he received a grant of land in the old 
Saxon manor of Kenson near the city of Leads, York- 
shire." Walter de Kenson easily was changed to Walter 
Dickenson or Dickinson. 

Henry Dickinson emigrated from London to America 
in 1654, settled in Virginia, and was the direct ancestor 
of the subject of this sketch. Among the many famous 
men bearing the name in our Colonial and Revolutionary 
period were Jonathan Dickinson, first President of 
Princeton College, and John Dickinson, member of the 
Colonial and of the Continental congresses, President of 
Pennsylvania, and one of the greatest political writers 
of his time. - 

In quite recent years two bearing the name have been 
members of the Cabinet at Washington. However, it 
may be justly said that few, if any, individuals of this 
family have been so widely known or so genuinely useful 
to humanity as Alfred Elijah Dickinson, who was born 
December 3, 1830, in Orange County, Virginia. His 
father, Ralph Dickinson, was a successful farmer and 
a quiet, devoted Christian. His mother, whose maiden 

166 



ALFRED ELIJAH DICKINSON 167 

name was Frances A. S. Quisenberry, was of a well- 
known family and a woman of great vigor of body and 
mind and of a warm, impulsive heart. While the subject 
of this sketch was an infant the family moved to Louisa 
County, where his father purchased a large plantation in 
sight of the lower Blue Ridge Mountains and about two 
miles from Trevilian's Station on the Chesapeake & Ohio 
R. R. This locality and county were always very dear 
to Alfred E. Dickinson, and throughout his life he 
revisited these scenes many times each year. The old 
home was full of happy children, always open for 
visitors, and permeated with a strong Christian spirit. 
The parents were members of Foster Creek (now Berea) 
Baptist Church, and here Alfred was baptized, when 
about seventeen years of age, by Rev. E. G. Shipp. He 
felt an overwhelming desire to preach, and, being urged 
to aid in a new and struggling church recently organ- 
ized a few miles away at Forest Hill, he took his church 
letter to that body. After several months he was both 
licensed to preach and ordained there. At this time he 
was teaching a small school near his father's home. One 
day in the spring the famous and devoted Dr. Robert 
Ryland, President of Richmond College, appeared at the 
home, spent the afternoon and night there, talked with 
the young teacher about his life purposes, and, before he 
left, had made him promise to enter college. The next 
fall (1849) Alfred entered Richmond College, where he 
studied until his graduation in 1852. During his three 
vacation summers he worked as a missionary colporteur 
in the Goshen Association, going, on horseback, from 
house to house and from church to church with Bibles 
and good books, and preaching as opportunity offered. 
This was a very helpful experience, and often in later 
years he urged a similar work upon men thinking of 
entering the ministry. It was while at Richmond College 



168 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

that he formed the acquaintance of Miss Frances E. 
Taylor, daughter of the eminent and godly Rev. Dr. 
James B. Taylor. This acquaintance, a few years later, 
ripened into a happy marriage that took place in 1857. 
After graduating at Richmond College, Dr. Dickinson 
taught school for a session in Louisa County (one of 
his pupils became the honored Greek teacher, Herbert 
H. Harris), and preached for a year at the Lower and 
Upper Gold Mine Churches in the vicinity. He then 
studied at the University of Virginia two sessions, where 
lie formed many happy and lifelong friendships. While 
there he was asked to become pastor of the Baptist 
Church at Charlottesville to succeed the famous John A. 
Broadus, who was about to begin a term of service 
as Chaplain of the University of Virginia. Dr. Dickin- 
son's two years' pastorate at the Charlottesville Church 
was marked by several great revivals, and he baptized 
hundreds of converts. In his diary of that period 
we have this entry for one Sunday: "I baptized this 
day four times." After two years he removed to 
Richmond, where he had been invited to come as Super- 
intendent of Baptist Colportage and Sunday-School 
Work of the State, which then meant all of Virginia 
from the Ohio River to the ocean. For nine years he 
held this important and laborious position, and it was 
one of the most fruitful and thrilling periods of his life. 
Thousands of ministers and Sunday-school missionaries 
and colporteurs were employed, hundreds of Sunday 
schools and churches were organized, thousands of per- 
sons were converted, and large sums of money were 
secured. The guiding, energizing human agent behind 
all this was Alfred E. Dickinson. During this period 
raged the terrible Civil War, the chief theater of which 
was the State of Virginia. For four years Dr. Dickin- 
son pushed his work among the soldiers, and in one year 



ALFRED ELIJAH DICKINSON 169 

raised one hundred and eighty thousand dollars for the 
distribution of Bibles and religious books and for other 
work in the Army of Northern Virginia. He traveled 
widely, toiled unceasingly, preached continually, made 
warm friendships with many famous military and 
political leaders, including Robert E. Lee and Stonewall 
Jackson, and held a number of great revival meetings 
among the soldiers. At the close of the Civil War he 
became pastor of the Leigh Street Baptist Church, then 
and now one of the largest churches in Richmond. This 
was a very happy pastorate, and lasted for five years, 
and was marked by several great revivals. One of these 
came as a great surprise, when apparently few were pray- 
ing for it. This revival lasted, with great spiritual power, 
for several months, and about two hundred were baptized 
as the fruit, in part, of the meetings. Dr. Dickinson 
afterwards rejoiced to trace this spiritual quickening to 
the prayers of one quiet and aged woman. While pastor 
of Leigh Street Church the honored Rev. Dr. J. B. Jeter 
called on him one morning to invite him to join with him 
in the editorship and publication of the Religious Herald, 
whose office had been burned at the close of the War. 
The paper itself, one of the oldest and most influential 
journals in the United States, had suspended publication 
for some time. In the fall of 1865 the firm of Jeter & 
Dickinson was formed for control and editorship of this 
paper. One of the keynotes of both editors was peace, 
the healing of the wounds of the Civil War. Probably 
no man did more than Dr. Dickinson, by pen and voice 
and his spirit of conciliation, to bring together North and 
South in a new fellowship of Christian love and service. 
He was a brilliant writer of editorial paragraphs, and 
the success of the paper for several decades was largely 
due to the fertility of his resources. He traveled widely 
and continually, attending religious gatherings all over 



170 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

the country; he gave his aid to every worthy cause, 
helping scores of struggling churches and young men 
studying for the ministry. He preached more frequently 
than many settled pastors do. Several times he under- 
took the work of a financial agent for Richmond College, 
and the present endowment of that institution is in a 
good measure due to him. He held temporary pastorates 
in the Pine Street and Fulton Churches, Richmond, and 
the First Church, Manchester, and in a number of 
country churches, and in several cases was the leader in 
the erection of new church buildings. It is estimated 
that more than fifty young men were aided by him 
through the years in preparing for the Christian ministry. 
It was his delight to aid pastors in evangelistic meetings, 
and he had remarkable gifts of pathos and persuasion in 
this work. 

Dr. Dickinson always cherished a warm and affection- 
ate interest in the colored people, frequently preaching 
in their churches, counseling with their ministers, and 
trying in every way to uplift them religiously and educa- 
tionally. When, a few years after the Civil War, the 
American Baptist Home Mission Society started a theo- 
logical school for colored preachers in Richmond, he was 
one of the chief helpers. Dr. S. F. Smith, the famous 
author of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," came to Rich- 
mond for some days to study the field, and was the guest, 
while there, at Dr. Dickinson's home, and wrote later of 
the invaluable aid received from him. Between him and 
Dr. Charles H. Corey, the president of that school for 
many years, there was a warm and intimate friendship 
until death came. 

He was married to Miss Frances E. Taylor in 1857, 
to Miss M. Lou Barksdale in 1879, and to Miss Bessie 
Bagby in 1899. The children who survive him are Rev. 
Dr. James Taylor Dickinson, Miss Nellie Taylor Dickin- 



ALFRED ELIJAH DICKINSON 171 

son, Mrs. Samuel M. Torian, Miss Janie P. Dickinson, 
and Mrs. Edward A. Hobbs. 

Among the characteristics of Dr. Dickinson, those who 
knew him before his last sickness would always think of 
his exuberant vitality. Six feet in height, well rounded 
in figure, his face ruddy with health, his step quick and 
elastic, his eyes sparkling with happiness and humor, his 
bodily presence arrested attention in any assembly, and 
his simple geniality, kindly wit, and unostentatious piety 
won friends in any household. By intuition and experi- 
ence he possessed a shrewd knowledge of human nature 
which served him well in many a difficult situation. He 
was a wide and rapid reader of books, with a special 
fondness for biography. For many years he always kept 
close at hand the life of some religious leader, into which 
he would dip after his morning Scripture meditation. He 
was especially fond of the biographies of those saintly 
men Edward Payson and Robert Murray McCheyne, and 
read and re-read them many times. He had a deep and 
unspeakable love and reverence for the Bible, and the 
first hour of each day, following the morning meal, he 
gave to loving reading and study of it. Familiar with 
much of modern thought, the New Testament in its story, 
parable, and inspiration lifted itself in his thought and 
reverence high above all the dust of human controversy 
to the heights of heaven. In its revelation of Christ and 
God and duty and immortality it met his own sense of 
need. 

Dr. Dickinson had great gifts as a popular speaker and 
preacher. Humor and pathos, a rare fund of illustra- 
tions, sympathy with humanity and the individual, and 
a power of ad hominen appeal — these were some of the 
sources of his influence as a speaker. 

As an illustration of some of his bright experiences as 
a traveler and of some of his genial and effective charac- 



172 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

teristics as a speaker and a man, it will be of interest to 
introduce here Dr. Dickinson's own account in the 
Religious Herald, written several years before his death, 
of one of his visits to the North to secure funds for 
Richmond College. The " 'possum story" alluded to, he 
told with inimitable humor and charm at many gather- 
ings in the North, and after the passage of about twenty 
years it is still vividly remembered by those who heard 
it from his lips. Dr. Dickinson's account is as follows : 

"Some twelve years ago I visited Boston in the interest 
of Baptist educational work in Virginia and the South, 
and obtained permission to deliver an address on a Sun- 
day afternoon in Tremont Temple on 'The Truth about 
the South.' The subject was well advertised, and I had 
a large congregation. The next morning I found that 
my remarks were reproduced almost verbatim in the most 
widely circulated Republican paper of the city. I called 
to thank the editor of that paper for the kindness he had 
done me ; but he said : 'You owe me no thanks. Your 
people at the South do not believe it, but the truth about 
the South is just what many of us up here most desire to 
know, and, hence, as soon as I ascertained that that 
would be the subject of your address I determined to 
print a full report of it.' That great daily was then, and 
is now, the leading Republican paper in New England. 
For much of the success I had in Boston I am indebted to 
that Republican editor. The same little talk on 'The 
Truth about the South' I repeated in many places and 
with good results. 

"I sought the President of the Baptist Social Union 
of Boston and asked to be permitted to speak at the meet- 
ing of that body, which was to be held at Tremont 
Temple the same day on which I made the request. He 
replied that the arrangements were all made and there 
could now be no change in the programme ; but he 



ALFRED ELIJAH DICKINSON 173 

gave me a ticket which entitled me to a seat on the plat- 
form and said : 'You can not speak on this occasion. At 
some future time we may hear you, provided you make 
no appeal for money. The Social Union has very strict 
rules on that subject, and nothing is allowed looking to 
raising money at these monthly gatherings, unless the 
circumstances are very peculiar and very urgent.' I took 
the hint and the ticket and heard a very fine address from 
Governor Long, now a member of Mr. McKinley's 
Cabinet, then Governor of the State of Massachusetts, 
and one from Bishop Brooks, now deceased, but then the 
great Episcopal preacher of New England, and one from 
a certain distinguished Congregationalist, whose name I 
can not now recall. No one of the speakers was a Bap- 
tist, but all three of them said handsome things about the 
Baptists. Just as the last speaker closed, the president 
stepped over to me and whispered thus : 'I will call on 
you for a three-minute talk if you will not speak longer 
than that and if you will not say anything about the 
object of your visit to Boston — not a word about 
money.' Then he said to the audience : 'We have heard 
from these distinguished brethren of other denomina- 
tions, and here is a Baptist brother from old Virginia, an 
ex-rebel, who wishes to say a word. Shall we give him 
just three minutes — that much and no more?' I began 
by saying that I had often heard of "Free-Speech 
Boston," and that no man could be gagged in Boston, 
but that limiting me to three minutes reminded me of an 
old colored man down in old Virginia who went 'possum 
hunting. He came back about midnight, tired and 
hungry and sleepy, but he had his 'possum. He dressed 
it and put it in a skillet and placed it on a few hot 
embers and said : 'Now, old 'pos., you cook here while I 
get a little nap.' Then he threw himself down on his 
cot and was in a moment sound asleep. But while he 



174 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

was asleep another colored brother came in and found 
the 'possum all right and ate it. He then pushed the 
table, on which was the plate, with knife and fork and 
bones, up against the sleeper, and, that there might be no 
doubt as to who ate the 'possum, he rubbed some of the 
gravy upon the sleeper's lips and then slipped out. After 
a while the sleeper awoke, and, before his eyes were well 
open, he began saying to himself: 'This is the hungriest 
nigger God ever made ; but I have a good 'possum, and 
it's all right now.' Then, looking around and failing to 
see the skillet, he said : 'How is this? There was no one 
here but the 'possum and me, and now the 'possum is 
not here.' And then, seeing the plate and the bones 
lying by him, he said: 'Well, I must have eaten that 
'possum, for here's the plate and the bones and the gravy 
upon my lips. Of course I must have eaten that 'possum ; 
but never have I had a 'possum to lie so light upon my 
stomach and to give me so little consolation as that 
'possum.' 

" 'Brethren,' said I, 'it's that way with me to-night. 
To come so far and to be dealt with this way gives me 
no consolation at all.' From every part of the room 
came cries : 'Tell what you came to Boston for,' and the 
presiding officer said : 'Brethren, you have taken the 
responsibility off of me. Now the brother can tell it, if 
you insist upon his doing so.' They did insist, and I 
told it as well as I could under the circumstances. 

"Now, concerning the collection. Well, there was 
none taken — none at all; but they gathered around me 
and took me by the hand and said pleasant things. A 
dear old brother of more than fourscore years said : 
'Meet me at my office on Devonshire Street at 10 o'clock 
to-morrow morning. Sharp,' said he, 'at 10.' Of course 
I was there on time, although a great snow storm was 
sweeping over Boston that morning. The first thing the 



ALFRED ELIJAH DICKINSON 175 

old gentleman said to me as he came into his office and 
threw off his overcoat was : 'You have gotten me into 
trouble.' And then he explained : 'My wife asked me at 
breakfast this morning what it was that I was laughing 
about in my sleep last night, and I told her it was your 
'possum story, and I undertook to tell the story to her, 
but failed in the attempt, and I left my family laughing 
at the idea that I should enjoy a thing so much as to 
laugh about it in my sleep and yet be unable to explain it 
in my waking hours. I wish you to tell it over to me, 
that I may tell it to my family when I go home to din- 
ner.' Then, pausing a moment, he said: 'Wait until I 
can go out and bring my brother and my nephew in, that 
they may hear it too.' In a few minutes he returned 
with his brother and his nephew, and, locking the door, 
he said : 'We are all ready now. Let us have the 'possum 
story.' Then he said: 'Stop; tell us what a 'possum is. 
Is it a thing that flies or something that crawls?' I 
answered his question, and then repeated the story — and 
then wrote the old man's name in my book for $1,000 for 
Richmond College, and his brother's name for $250 ; but 
the nephew said : 'Please excuse me. I think my father 
and uncle have paid enough on that 'possum for the 
whole family'." 

Dr. Dickinson, as a writer, not only had remarkable 
gifts as a racy paragraph ist and as a reporter of religious 
assemblies and as a writer of editorials, but he also was 
the author of a number of religious and denominational 
booklets and pamphlets which have had a very wide influ- 
ence. One of these has been translated into several 
European languages. 

Dr. Dickinson was by nature warm-hearted and 
impulsive. This natural impulsiveness, while often a 
source of power, sometimes brought him into trying 
situations. Those who knew him longest and most inti- 



176 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

mately believed that the two mighty forces back of his 
long life of unceasing activity and world-wide helpful- 
ness were personal devotion to Christ and ever-growing 
love for humanity. He had a deep, personal experience 
of God's redeeming grace in Christ, and he adored the 
Saviour as the only refuge of the soul. From early years 
to the end of his life he had a yearning love and sym- 
pathy for men and women and children — for the com- 
mon people. He could always see in the humblest types — 
and especially in young people — great treasures of spirit- 
ual possibility. So, as sorrow and disappointment and 
death came again and again, and as the swift years bore 
him on, and as at last, after long sickness, he came, at 
the age of seventy-six, to face the end of all things 
earthly, he was not cynical or bitter or lonely. The love 
and prayers of a great multitude of friends seemed to 
bear up his heart. The Saviour was very vivid to his 
faith and consciousness. Despite the long sickness and 
the weary body and the failing mind, it was light in the 
evening when his spirit passed away, November 20, 1906. 

James Taylor Dickinson. 



SIMEON U. GRIMSLEY 

1839-1906 

On January 16, 1879, a man who had worn, with 
courage and honor, the uniform of a Confederate soldier, 
was being set apart for leadership in the army of King 
Immanuel. This ordination service was held at Mt. 
Horeb Church, Caroline County, Virginia, a church 
organized in 1773. The new preacher in the ranks of the 
gospel ministry was Simeon U. Grimsley, who, having 
been born in the city of Richmond in 1839, was in his 
fortieth year. In 1876 he was licensed to preach by the 
Smyrna Church, Caroline County. His first charge was 
Mt. Horeb, Mt. Hermon, and Providence Churches, 
Caroline County, in the Dover and Rappahannock Asso- 
ciations. His salary did not warrant him in keeping a 
horse, but he "kept his appointments," though this meant 
walking, and his churches were not near together. In 
1883 he accepted a call to the Union Church, on the 
Chincoteague Island. This island, lying in the Atlantic 
Ocean, and off the coast of Accomac County, is famous 
for its ponies that run wild, and once a year are sold for 
good prices. At the time of Mr. Grimsley's going to the 
island it was "dominated by an exceedingly immoral 
spirit. Religion was little more than bald fanaticism. 
Intemperance was rampant, and the outlook generally 
was dismal indeed." The new pastor was equal to the 
situation, and in five years the condition of things was 
very different ; the saloons had been put out of commis- 
sion and his church was one of the best organized and 
largest in the Accomac Association. When he died the 
church had a well-appointed meeting-house and a good 

177 



178 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

parsonage, and was forward in every good work. In 
view of the fact that he had had no training in the 
schools, his preaching was most remarkable, being always 
earnest, thoughtful, devout, and scriptural. He was 
effective in evangelistic meetings. He was a man of 
great moral courage, and was never known "to quail in 
the face of foe, man, or devil." 

"For many weary months, in pain and suffering, he 
lingered, a helpless paralytic ; with blended faith and 
hope he rested on the sure mercies of God." On Thurs- 
day, November 29. 1906, he passed to his reward. This 
sketch, in the main, is based on articles from the pen of 
Rev. J. W. Hundley. 



RICHARD EDWARDS 

1860(?)-1907 

One of the gifts of the Portsmouth Association to the 
Baptist ministry of Virginia was Rev. Richard Edwards. 
His ordination, which took place in June, 1892, at his 
mother church, Millfield, had back of it a long and hard 
struggle for an education. His lack of funds might have 
altogether blocked his way, but Rev. Joseph F. Deans, 
a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this volume, 
proved a friend indeed, enabling the young man to 
attend, for his secondary schooling, the Windsor 
Academy. From here he passed to Richmond College 
and then to Crozer Theological Seminary. His first 
charge upon leaving the Seminary was a field made up 
of the Jerusalem and Farnham Churches, in the Rappa- 
hannock Association. Here he labored for thirteen 
years, being warmly and deservedly esteemed. Towards 
all classes he was "cordial, warm-hearted, sympathetic, 
and unfailingly considerate and kind." The children, 
the Sunday school, the young people's meeting, the young 
men and girls, all had a place in his thought and care. 
From this field in Richmond County he went, in May, 
1905, to take charge of Modest Town and Mappsville 
Churches, in Accomac. Here he soon "established him- 
self in the esteem and confidence of the people as a man 
of deep and unaffected piety and a minister of zeal, 
prudence, and singleness of aim in the Master's service." 
His gifts were "solid rather than shining, and his style 
of preaching was rather direct, simple, and practical than 
ornate and eloquent. . . . The man, the true man, 
was behind his speech and gave it power." He was mar- 

179 



180 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ried to Miss Mattie A. Laine, who, with four daughters, 
survived him. "In the guidance and comfort of his 
household he was the embodiment of Scriptural faithful- 
ness, of thoughtful attention, of delicate tact, of prac- 
tical help and service. To visitors beneath his roof, and 
to his brethren of the ministry notably, his overflowing- 
kindness, his social warmth of feeling, and his grace of 
hospitality ever bespoke his generous and tender heart." 
On February 10, 1907, in the forty-eighth year of his 
age, he passed away, after only a week's illness of 
pneumonia. The beautiful obituary, from the pen of 
Rev. G. W. Beale, is the basis of this sketch. 



WILLIAM SYDNOR PENICK 

1836-1907 

At "Oak Plain," Halifax County, Virginia, the planta- 
tion of his parents, William and Elizabeth Armistead 
Penick, on May 12, 1836, William Sydnor Penick, the 
third child of the home, was born. Until he was fifteen 
years old "he lived in the glad freedom of plantation life 
before-the-War," and shared, with his three brothers and 
two sisters, the careful training of Mr. Berryman Green 
and Mr. Rufus Murrell, cultured gentlemen who were 
tutors in this home. According to the custom of the day 
the tutor roomed in the "office," in the yard, with the 
boys, and instructed all the children in Latin, Greek, 
Mathematics, and the English branches. Doubtless 
"manners" and dancing were not omitted from the cur- 
riculum of this school. Mr. Penick was an ardent lover 
of the chase, and his son, Sydnor, at an early age, having 
a hunter of his own, imbibed a love for horses, dogs, and 
hunting, especially following the hounds, that went with 
him through life. Since the father and the tutor united 
in desiring that young Sydnor should become a lawyer, 
and since it was Mr. Penick's opinion that a business 
training was fundamental to that profession, the youth, 
at the age of fifteen, was "bound" for three years to a 
Mr. Marshall, a successful merchant in Charlotte County. 
During these years the young man met all sorts and con- 
ditions of men, from the backwoods people to the 
aristocrats of the great neighboring tobacco plantations, 
and so had full opportunity to learn human nature. Nor 
was this period without trying experiences that taught 
hard lessons in self-denial and self-control. From his 

181 



182 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

very childhood the youth won friends by his charm and 
courtesy of manner, his quick wit, and his handsome 
face, that might almost have been called beautiful. 

Since Mr. Penick was an ardent Episcopalian (he was 
also a Whig), it was a distinct disappointment to him 
when Sydnor, at the age of seventeen, was baptized, 
probably by Rev. James Longanacre, into the fellowship 
of the Catawba Baptist Church, his mother's church. 
Again the father was doomed to disappointment in his 
plans as to this son's education. When his engagement 
with Mr. Marshall was over, the young man set out in 
the stage for Charlottesville and the University of Vir- 
ginia. On passing through Richmond he was persuaded 
by friends to enter Richmond College, and he took this 
step before consulting his father, his plan being to follow 
his course at the college by further study at the Uni- 
versity, but alas, this plan was never carried out. During 
his years at the college, among his friends were Charles 
H. Ryland, William E. Hatcher, James B. Taylor, Jr., 
and C. C. Chaplin, and when he graduated, in 1858, 
besides him the other members of the class were William 
E. Hatcher, Harvey Hatcher, Samuel H. Pulliam, John 
W. Ryland, and Joseph A. Turner. While at college he 
organized the Philologian Literary Society, being its first 
president, and in the hall of this society there hangs his 
portrait, which the society had painted in 1875. After he 
left the college he kept up an interesting correspondence 
for many years with his professors, George E. Dabney 
and Robert Ryland, and, in 1866, when the question arose 
in the General Association as to the reopening of the col- 
lege after the ravages of the War, the third speaker in the 
discussion which resulted in the recommencement of the 
college was Mr. Penick. In 1871 his alma mater con- 
ferred on him the degree of Master of Arts, and some 
years later the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. 



WILLIAM SYDNOR PENICK 183 

Once again his father was disappointed when, at the close 
of his college course, he decided to be a minister of the 
gospel and not a lawyer. The fact that his father had 
suffered financial reverses and was not able to send him 
to the University of Virginia may have had something 
to do with this decision, but there was another event that 
helped to bring about this step. His mother, a woman 
of strong will and deep consecration, had felt that her 
son Sydnor, being the most restless and self-willed of 
her children, needed more earnest and continuous prayer 
than any of the others. One day the boy, in mad search 
for some fishing tackle, rushed up into the attic. There 
he overheard his mother telling the Lord that although 
Sydnor was the most unruly of her boys and most bent 
on the pleasures of this life, still she implored that he 
might be converted and become a Baptist preacher. He 
never forgot this prayer. His ordination to the ministry 
took place at the church of his childhood, Catawba, in 
Halifax County, the presbytery being composed of these 
ministers : A. M. Poindexter, A. B. Brown, and John H. 
Lacy. 

With his ordination began a ministry of almost half a 
century. Before his work as a regular pastor was broken 
in upon by the War he served successfully a weak church 
at Chatham, the county-seat of Pittsylvania County, and, 
by building up a Sunday school of over two hundred 
scholars, laid the foundations for a strong church. On 
November 2, 1859, he was married, at Chatham, to Miss 
Betty Tarpley Martin, a daughter of Dr. Chesley Martin 
and Rebecca White, and the granddaughter of Dr. 
Rawley White, of Pittsylvania. In August, 1861, he 
went into the Confederate Army as Captain of the David 
Logan Guards, a militia company equipped by his friend 
and cousin, Mr. David Logan, of Halifax County. In 
1868, sharing, with the vast majority of the Southern 



184 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

people, the deep poverty that was part of the heritage of 
the War, with his young wife and three children, he went 
as a missionary of the State Mission Board to Charles 
Town, W. Va. The meeting-house was in ruins, so a 
semi-monthly service Sunday morning was held in the 
courthouse, while for the afternoons of these days he 
preached at old Zoah, the first house of worship built in 
Jefferson County. The other Sundays of the month 
were given to Mt. Zion, a large country church in 
Berkeley County, and to the cause at Martinsburg, where 
there was no Baptist Church. At this place, in the parlor 
of Airs. Henry Kratz, he organized, with some five 
women, a Baptist Church. The outlook here was soon 
so promising that the Board had him give his whole time 
to Martinsburg. In his report, in 1871, to the State Mis- 
sion Board, he said: "... Since I have been in 
the Valley, three years, I have paid about $2,000 worth 
of debt for the Charles Town Church. ... In Mar- 
tinsburg we have built a fine brick church which has cost 
us about $6,000. The Mt. Zion Church has been refitted 
and repainted ; the old Zoar Church refitted and painted 
on the inside." After leaving Martinsburg he was 
pastor for seven years of the First Church of Alexandria, 
and then for four years of the High Street Church, Balti- 
more. While in Baltimore he supplied, during the sum- 
mer, for churches in New York and Yonkers. About 
this time he had calls from churches in New York State 
and Brooklyn that were declined, while one from the 
First Church of Shreveport, La., was accepted. Subse- 
quent events show that his decision in this matter was of 
God, for it is probable that the best work of his life was 
done in this city of the near Southwest. Not only was 
he for thirteen years the beloved pastor of his church, 
but the denomination felt his helpful influence all 
through the State, nor was this service of his bound in 



WILLIAM SYDNOR PENICK 185 

by State lines. He came to be also one of the first 
citizens of his city, loved and respected, not only by 
Gentiles, but by the Jews as well. His literary culture 
and fine address led to his being much in demand for 
college commencements and other similar occasions, while 
his record during the Civil War gave him high rank 
among the Confederate Veteran organizations. In 1887 
he established in Shreveport the Genevieve Orphanage. 
which has grown into an institution which is of service 
and blessing to north Louisiana. It is interesting, in this 
connection, to know that as early as 1866 he offered, in 
the General Association of Virginia, a resolution calling 
for a committee to look' into the matter of caring for and 
educating the children of deceased Baptist ministers of 
Virginia. While no practical results came from this 
motion, it is worthy of note that the care of orphan 
children was already a matter that concerned him. In 
1898 he resigned at Shreveport and became pastor at 
Elizabeth City, N. C, but after three years he returned 
to the First Church at Shreveport and continued his 
work there until forced by failing strength to give up the 
active work of so large a church. After this he minis- 
tered for two years to the x\rdis Memorial, an offspring 
of the First Church. He had hoped that he might labor 
to the very end, but this was not to be. For two years 
he was called on to wait and watch, with his labor done. 
Finally the messenger came, and on Sunday, June 30, 
1907, just at the hour when for almost half a century, 
week after week, he had pronounced the benediction at 
the close of the morning service, he passed to the service 
of the heavenly congregation that shall never break up. 
The funeral was conducted by Dr. H. A. Sumrell, pastor 
of the First Baptist Church, and Dr. Jasper K. Smith, 
pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, all of the 
pastors of the city taking part in the service. Along the 



186 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

streets to the Oakland Cemetery, where the body was laid 
to rest, the crowds stood silent and tearful as the proces- 
sion passed, and the Confederate Veterans covered the 
grave with their flag. 

Dr. Penick was a man of unusually fine appearance 
and bearing. In the days of his prime, straight as an 
Indian and of portly build, he would have attracted 
attention in any crowd. "He was an industrious stu- 
dent, a clear thinker, a sound theologian." He prepared 
his sermons with great care, usually writing out fully 
what he expected to say, although he did not always keep 
closely to his manuscript in the pulpit. His sense of 
humor was keen and he was gifted as a raconteur. He 
was devoted to his home, and often refused invitations 
for engagements that would have meant protracted 
absence from his family. He was hospitable in a high 
degree and in great demand as a guest. Possibly his 
chief characteristic was his spirit of forgiveness, one of 
his favorite maxims being : "As my Father forgives me, 
a miserable sinner, should not I forgive my brother?" 

His widow is now living in New Orleans, and there are 
six surviving children, namely : Chesley, now Mrs. 
James Burrows Johnson, Charlottesville, Va. ; William 
Sydnor Penick, New Orleans (whose wife was Miss 
Otelia Jacobs) ; Dr. Raleigh Martin Penick, Shreveport, 
La. (whose wife was Miss Eugenia Elizabeth Carnal) ; 
Mary Louise, now Mrs. James Polk Ford, New Orleans ; 
Nathan Treadway Penick, New Orleans (whose wife 
was Miss Anne Stephenson) ; Martha Brantley, now 
Mrs. Burr. D. Ilgenfritz. 



GEORGE BOARDMAN TAYLOR 
1832-1907 

George Boardman Taylor was born December 27, 
1832, in the pleasant and homelike city of Richmond, Va. 
Its gardens in spring are wreathed with roses and bridal 
spiraea, and pretty Southern girls, in white, flit from 
porch to porch with easy neighborliness. Little squirrels 
skip across the dappled grass under the venerable trees 
of the old Capitol Square, and life is sweet; but Rich- 
mond has its cold winters, too, and in those days of 
unheated houses the inhabitants often waked to find their 
breath forming a blue mist on the frosty air and their 
pitchers and basins masked with ice. George came like 
a belated Christmas gift, on the 27th of December, to the 
modest home of a Baptist minister, who was later to be 
the first secretary of the Foreign Mission Board. 

His mother was of what Holmes calls the Brahmin 
caste of New England, with a pious and learned ancestry 
of ministers and college professors. In the annals of her 
family linger memories of a kinswoman, Eunice, carried 
off by the Indians in childhood and held until, as a 
woman, she no longer cared to return to her white kin ; 
bleak days in New England when such a family as the 
Williams' often possessed little beside learning and piety. 
One ancestor saw the light first on one of those "cribbed, 
confin'd" vessels in which men and women then faced the 
elements for conscience' sake, carrying ever after his 
certificate of birth in the unique name : Seaborn Cotton. 
Another forebear was a chaplain of General Washington, 
and his descendants like to seek his face in the prow of 
the boat in which, with his chief, he crossed the Delaware 

187 



188 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

River. One ancestor, Rev. Elisha Williams, was the 
fourth president of Yale. All this, not for vainglory, 
but to account for an almost morbid conscientiousness 
and love of books which the subject of this sketch 
absorbed with his mother's milk. It is the fashion of 
our day to satirize the stern theology and simple, un- 
cesthetic lives of that New England theocracy, but they 
put iron into the blood which our commonwealth could 
ill spare. 

The father's family was also of purely English stock, 
but more recently come from the old country. It is said 
that the race was near being extinguished in the green 
waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Those were days of that 
dreaded pressgang which Mrs. Gaskell has so vividly 
portrayed in "Sylvia's Lovers." The vessel on which 
George Taylor and his wife had embarked for America 
was overtaken by one of the ships out ranging to seize 
men for enlistment, and he would have been carried back 
to serve, but his wife clung to him as the limpet to the 
rock. The king's men discovered that to take the man 
they would have to have the woman too, a double bargain 
not worth while. The story goes that in the hand-to- 
hand struggle the baby, James B. Taylor, fell into the 
water, and by the time he was rescued (who knows 
how?) the pressmen were glad to be rid of so trouble- 
some a family. However this may be, that baby, James 
Taylor, proved one of nature's gentlemen, and when 
nature and Christianity combine to make a gentleman 
they make the best one possible. He brought to the 
moral making of his son remarkable justice and sweet- 
ness of disposition. Even the irreligious outsider recog- 
nized his gracious saintliness with none of the antagonism 
which more self-conscious virtue is apt to rouse. 



GEORGE BOARDMAN TAYLOR 189 

It was a deeply pious home, but the piety was genuine, 
and so tempered by love, common sense and proportion, 
that none of the six children bred in it were driven by 
the strict religious training to the opposite extreme. The 
Bible was read and studied, and numberless hymns were 
committed to memory, but the shelves were filled with 
other excellently selected books, and there was a big yard 
where the children could play. It was not unnatural 
that in it the two oldest children should enthusiastically 
build with broomsedge and sticks a "George and Jane 
College." George had yellow curls and was a lovable 
little boy. If he did contrive to stick his aunt's scissors 
down a crack in the pOrch he helped her get them out 
again, and disarmed criticism by hugs and kisses. 

At first he went to school with his sisters, where the 
"dame," when disobeyed, used to slip a whalebone out of 
her stays and administer chastisement, or, failing that, 
made use of her slipper. He must have been quite a little 
fellow still when sent to a sanctimonious but very stingy 
boarding school of the Oliver Twist order. George tried 
to supplement the meager diet by a large consumption 
of blackberries, and when these produced a succession 
of boils he was too cannie to complain in his letters home. 
He tied his most necessary clothes up in a small bundle, 
and knowing that his father, on his way to a protracted 
meeting, was to pass, on the train, a crossroad a few 
miles off, he slung his small pack over his shoulder, 
trudged to the spot, signaled the train, and was able 
comfortably to pour forth his just grievances and return 
no more to the place of penance. This childish episode 
illustrates the cool deliberation and spirit of adventure 
combined in his character. When he was seven his 
father became for a year chaplain of the University of 
Virginia, and this period was always remembered with 
pleasure by the family, who, being rather overgiven to 



190 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

introspection and self-communings, needed to be thrown 
among those who were their equals in breeding and cul- 
ture, a luxury not always accessible to a Baptist minis- 
ter's family. From the University the family returned to 
Richmond, and, as an old man, he used to tell with gusto 
of swimming and diving with other boys in the pictur- 
esque James River, and of the jolly rights and feuds 
between the "hill cats" and the "river cats." 

George joined the church when a boy and never 
regretted it. Combined with his keen sense of life and 
mischievous love of fun was a deep fund of character 
and an acute mind leavened by a conscientious, strong- 
sense of duty. His imaginative gifts were not, perhaps, 
remarkable, but he had rare gifts of reasoning, good 
judgment, mental grasp, and breadth of spirit. He 
studied because he loved study, and read widely with 
exquisite appreciation. He had what might be called real 
1 innger for ideas and trains of thought. 

After graduating at Richmond College he taught for 
a year an "old-field school" in Fluvanna, reading and 
studying meanwhile on his own account. He began to 
read law by himself, but could not withstand the "weight 
of evidence" which was to make him a preacher and 
pastor. 

Nearly three years were spent at the University of 
Virginia, which at that time rejoiced in the inspiration of 
such professors as Gessner Harrison and Wm. H. 
McGuffey. While devoted to his studies, he was active 
in the Washington Literary Society, taught a Sunday 
school in the Ragged Mountains, and preached in neigh- 
boring Baptist churches. He found pleasure and profit 
in the companionship of John A. Broadus, his lifelong 
friend, who was then pastor in Charlottesville. Then, as 
always, he took delight in the discussion and ventilation 
of ideas in morals and ethics with fellow-students and 



GEORGE BOARDMAN TAYLOR 191 

professors. The subject of his own able alumni address 
at Richmond College, on "The Thinker," shows the 
favorite bias of his mind. On the other hand, he had 
strong social instinct which had been little cultivated in 
his quiet, staid home. He loved the society of intelligent 
women, and while susceptible to beauty, his many friends 
were rather remarkable for mental vivacity and sym- 
pathetic responsiveness than for mere pink-and-white 
comeliness. In his third session at the University he had 
a physical breakdown which prevented his taking the 
Master's degree. 

Soon after leaving the University he was called to the 
pastorate of the infant Franklin Square Baptist Church, 
Baltimore, where he remained for several years as an 
inmate of his kinsman Dr. Wilson's home, editing, with 
Dr. Wilson, The Christian Reviezv, and fighting out for 
himself many of the theological problems which confront 
a young preacher. 

On May 13, 1858, his life was enriched and broadened 
by his marriage, at "Hazel Hill," near Fredericksburg, 
Va., to Susan Spotswood Braxton, one of four sisters 
distinguished for beauty, charm, and intellectual gifts 
united to deep, personal piety. A no less ardent Baptist 
than himself, Sue Braxton's warm, generous heart and 
gracious personality made her an exceptional pastor's 
wife. Wit, sunny unselfishness, and unusual conversa- 
tional gifts combined to make her no less beloved by the 
poorest negro than by the polished and traveled citizen 
of the world. 

At his marriage George Taylor became pastor of the 
struggling, nascent church in Staunton, where Baptists 
were few and little esteemed. The pastor's intellect and 
his wife's birth and social gifts entitled them to associate 
with the best people in the beautifully situated mountain 
town, but they gave themselves with unremitting devo- 



192 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

tion to the poor and needy of their own congregation. 
The husband's days were shared between strenuous 
sermon-making and pastoral calls and cares. He was 
ably seconded by his wife, who never grudged a gracious 
hospitality. In the sixteen years which followed she 
gave birth to eight children and buried four. Besides 
his duties to his church the pastor preached frequently 
for the colored people, for the State Insane Asylum, and 
for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Institution located in 
Staunton. He supplemented his scant exchequer by 
writing series of children's books called : "The Oakland 
Stories" ; two boys' books, "Roger Bernard" and "Coster 
Grew," and a historical novel about the early Baptists of 
Virginia, "Walter Ennis," all of which have maintained 
their place in Sunday-school literature. Besides these 
books he wrote several able tracts on baptism, Baptist 
history, and religious liberty, and held revivals to which 
he traveled over the country by buggy, horseback, and 
railroad. In the hard years which followed the War he 
taught a boys' academy and several classes in a girls' 
college. He collected funds South and North for Alle- 
ghany College and Richmond College. On these agency 
trips, as later in conducting the Italian Mission, he used 
the most rigid personal economy. He would eat cheap 
meals, put up at modest inns, and during winter weather 
in New York and Boston, though unusually susceptible 
to cold, he allowed himself no fire in his bedroom, thaw- 
ing out his rigid fingers to hold a pen by lighting news- 
papers in his wash-basin. Though late in life he doubted 
the wisdom of such strains on a delicate physique, and 
never exacted them from others, it is bracing for a more 
lax generation to know of such scrupulousness in the use 
of public money. 

As the early and the latter rains, frost, wind and sleet 
are needed to sweeten and swell the kernel of wheat, so 



GEORGE BOARDMAN TAYLOR 193 

trials and cares chastened and developed the character 
of this man of God. The loss of his children struck him 
as it could not have done a man less sensitive and tender, 
and he always maintained that nothing in life had been so 
terrible as the loss of his firstborn, Bessie, who died sud- 
denly while he was away from home preaching to a large 
crowd in Charlottesville. His own health was always 
so broken and frail that it was a miracle to his doctors 
and friends how he survived to the ripe age of seventy- 
five years. In Staunton, as later in Rome, church 
anxieties gave him sleepless nights and thorny days, and 
the Italian Mission always had on hand some distressing- 
problem or trying disappointment to vex the responsible 
head. 

Three years after his coming to Staunton the Civil 
War broke out. Though attached by ties of kindred 
and friendship to the North, he was an ardent Virginian, 
and threw himself whole-heartedly into the Southern 
cause. He was elected captain of a home guard, but 
very soon after obtained a chaplaincy in Stonewall 
Jackson's command. He took a full share in visiting 
the hospitals and in the remarkable revival which swept 
over the Army of Northern Virginia. Only those who 
endured it knew what the War and the years following- 
it meant in privations and hardships. The pastor saw 
his small supply of provisions mutilated and destroyed 
by an invading army, was paid in Confederate notes 
or not at all — in short, had his nose to the grind- 
stone. After occupying several rented houses and 
boarding a while he had bought a house near the church 
for a dwelling and paid for it with Confederate money. 
When the War closed he felt compelled to surrender the 
property, as he could not otherwise make good the loss 
to the original owner. When Lee surrendered at Appo- 
mattox, this man, who had never owned a slave and had 



194 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

dearly loved the old family servants hired by his father, 
lay down on his face and said he did not want to live 
any longer ; but with the buoyancy of a healthy nature 
he soon took a saner view and wrote to his brother : "In 
times like these we need to be actively engaged to keep 
from being unhappy. For my part, I accept the facts as 
indicating God's will, and acquiesce with a peace of mind 
I had not thought possible. Perhaps it is a fulfilment of 
the promise : 'As thy days so shall thy strength be.' 
Still I confess that ever and anon the sad facts come over 
me with fresh power and almost crush and paralyze me. 
But it is all right, and we must remember that we are 
chiefly connected with a kingdom which is 'not of this 
world.' ... I am not without fears for the future. 
The North is now as clamorous for negro suffrage as 
they were for emancipation. Then I fear for the negro 
himself lest he be crushed between the upper and nether 
millstone. But I have faith that God will overrule all 
things for the best interests of His cause and people. 
. . I feel a deep solicitude for our late President, 
and bear very hardly the dismemberment of our old 
Mother State. But because a Christian, I hope to be a 
good citizen." 

In 1869 he was called to the two-year chaplaincy of the 
University of Virginia, and the stay there was a pleasant 
interlude of congenial society and profitable work for 
both him and his wife, who renewed old ties and made 
many valued friends. 

In 1870 Dr. Taylor (the doctorate was conferred on 
him simultaneously by Richmond College and Chicago 
University) took a three months' trip to Europe with his 
youngest brother, and of course his wide reading made 
every place he visited full of stimulating interest. With 
characteristic loyalty he sought out his English cousins 
and visited the little village of Barton-on-Humber, his 



GEORGE BOARDMAN TAYLOR 195 

father's birthplace, where he stayed at the wee inn of the 
Sheaf and Stack; just a few years before he had made 
a pilgrimage to his wife's birthplace on the Eastern Shore 
of Virginia. 

At the end of the term as University chaplain he was 
called enthusiastically by his old church to return to 
Staunton. After somewhat considering the idea of going 
to Lexington as pastor and as adjunct professor in 
Washington and Lee University, he decided to return to 
his old charge, and was most cordially welcomed back. 
His house was refurnished by the church, his salary put 
on a more stable basis, and it seemed as if an easier 
period were beginning and' a long union with the church 
to follow. But, as he himself was wont to quote with 
a smile, "the Christian man is never long at ease." Only 
eighteen months after his return to Staunton a telegram 
came from the secretary of the Foreign Mission Board 
which sharply changed the current of his life. The year 
and a half was chock-full of work and travel. Besides 
his regular preaching and pastoral work in Staunton he 
taught three classes in Mr. Hart's school and wrote the 
memoir of his beloved father, who had passed away on 
December 21, 1871. He suffered anxiety over several 
severe illnesses in his family, and his wife's health began 
to feel the strain put upon it. Early in 1873 he was 
released by his church to help raise the $300,000 
Memorial Endowment Fund for Richmond College. It 
was while engaged in this work in New York in March, 
1873, that he was startled by hearing from Dr. Tupper 
of his appointment as missionary of the Foreign Mission 
Board to Rome, Italy. After much consideration and 
prayer he decided to undertake the task. The same day 
he bought an Italian grammar and began to peg away 
at the language. His wife doubted the wisdom of a 
delicate, middle-aged man, burdened with four young 



196 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

children, making an entirely new start in life, but she was 
loyal to his decision, and was scarcely less useful and 
beloved in Rome than she had been in Staunton. 

Dr. Taylor attended, by request of the Board, the 
Southern Baptist Convention in Mobile and the June 
meeting in Richmond. Then, on the 18th of June, 1873, 
with his wife and four children — the youngest an infant 
of eight months — and two young ladies, who were placed 
under his care for the journey, he embarked for Glasgow 
en route for Rome. 

The Baptist work Dr. Taylor found in Rome was a 
small day- and night-school among the poorest class, a 
discharged evangelist, and a missionary of the Board, 
who was dismissed the week after Dr. Taylor arrived. 
There were evangelists maintained by the Board in other 
parts of Italy. The English Baptists, the Wesleyans, the 
American Methodists, and the Waldensians, supported 
by the Congregational and Presbyterian churches of 
England and America, were already at work. The 
American Baptists came last and were the least desired. 
Close communion and a man coming from a slave State 
were abominations to the Protestants already installed in 
Italy, so there was a double antagonism to meet. Money 
for the work came uncertainly and irregularly from 
America. During the first year Dr. Taylor had the news 
of the death of his eldest sister, and a few years later of 
that of his mother. He spent the winter studying Italian 
and going nightly to the school in Trastevere, where he 
began from the first to try and evangelize the boys and 
youths in attendance, and in taking journeys to mission 
stations already begun in other places. During the 
second year he hired a hall in a fine position opposite 
to the Roman Parliament and began preaching services 
with an able evangelist from North Italy. On Sunday 
afternoon there was a popular singing meeting which 



GEORGE BOARDMAX TAYLOR 197 

attracted good crowds. A small number of faithful and 
sincere members were baptized at this period and have 
formed the nucleus of the Roman Church ever since. 
After holding this hall for four years Dr. Taylor suc- 
ceeded in purchasing property and adapting an old hall 
for church purposes. This purchase, owing to the diffi- 
cult}- of getting property for evangelical uses, entailed 
several law suits, loss of time, and much harassment and 
worry. When it was completed the Board called 
Dr. Taylor to America to collect the money to pay for 
it, and he spent a year doing this, traveling over a large 
part of the United States. During this year he suffered 
the loss of one sister and much pain and anxiety over the 
severe trials of another. Malaria, contracted in Italy, 
also gave him much trouble. During the first five win- 
ters in Rome his family occupied successive furnished 
apartments and spent their summers in Tuscany and in 
the Waldensian Valleys, where there was one mission sta- 
tion. Dr. Taylor himself spent much of his time in sum- 
mer in Rome and Naples and in traveling for the work, 
visiting the evangelists and work gradually established 
throughout the continent and the islands of Sardinia and 
Sicily. After the chapel in Rome was finished Dr. Tay- 
lor occupied for three years an unpretending apartment 
in the same building, which was afterwards used by 
Signor Paschetto and his family. In 1884 Mrs. Taylor 
died very suddenly of laryngitis, and her husband and 
children sustained the most profound loss possible to 
them. From that time on the father became, if possible, 
more solicitous and tender to his children, seeking to 
atone to them for the want of their mother and to com- 
fort his own widowed heart. 

Following a plan, formed with his wife, in order that 
their children might not be quite alienated from their 
native country. Dr. Tavlor, in 1885. obtained a furlough 



198 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

from the Italian Mission and accepted, for the second 
time, the chaplaincy of the University of Virginia, where 
he was no less appreciated than he had been fifteen years 
before, and keenly enjoyed the society of Noah K. Davis 
and other congenial professors. At the end of the two 
years Dr. Taylor returned, with his two daughters, to 
Rome, and as the apartment on the mission property was 
rented he took a small, sunny, unfurnished apartment at 
the foot of the Capitol, which he occupied until his death 
twenty years later. Soon after his return to Italy he 
wrote, for the American Baptist Publication Society, a 
book on "Italy and the Italians." The large and harass- 
ing correspondence entailed by the administration of the 
work, and journeys over Italy, occupied the time, which 
was much broken by bad health. 

At the stately 800th anniversary of the Bologna Uni- 
versity Dr. Taylor represented the University of Vir- 
ginia, and enjoyed meeting Philip Schaff, who was also 
there as a representative. All the prejudice against him, 
which had attended Dr. Taylor's coming to Italy, was 
more than overcome by his real Christlikeness and 
brotherly spirit, which he was able to manifest without 
any sacrifice of doctrine or peculiar principle. Twice 
again Dr. Taylor went to America for short visits to his 
sons, one a pastor in Virginia and the other a surgeon in 
the United States Navy. 

Dr. Taylor suggested to the Board the advisability of 
establishing a Baptist Theological School in Rome, and 
it was done, Dexter G. Whittinghill, Th. D., being 
appointed and sent out to dedicate himself particularly to 
this work. Dr. Taylor took the liveliest interest in this 
new feature, which he felt was much needed. He taught 
in the school until his death, and wrote for it a modest 
but clear and concise manual in Italian on "Systematic 
Theology." The chapter on baptism was considered 



GEORGE BOARDMAN TAYLOR 199 

particularly good, and was republished separately by the 
ministers of the Southern branch of the Italian evangel- 
ists as the best possible statement of the question. In the 
early years of his life in Italy Dr. Taylor edited, with an 
Italian minister, an Italian monthly called The Sower, 
and later he united with the English Baptists to produce 
a weekly organ called The Witness, which is still pub- 
lished. He wrote frequently for both papers, as well as 
in English for The Watchman, The Examiner, The 
Religious Herald, The Foreign Mission Journal, and 
other publications. While striving to make each article 
a work of art, he tried no less to make them a true 
picture, and did much to' arouse interest in the Italian 
work for which he had the affection consequent on 
personal sacrifice and devotion. While his sensitive 
organization made him keenly susceptible to heat and 
cold and to every jar, he was no less alive to natural and 
spiritual beauty. He loved nature, and took the most 
exquisite delight in English literature and the keenest 
interest in the history and politics of the whole world. 
As his physical strength abated and his bodily powers 
decreased, his piety, loving-kindness and generosity 
widened. He grew each day more anxious to give to 
others, not only their just due, but a measure pressed 
down and overflowing. He was hospitable in a double 
sense, hospitable as it is enjoined on the bishop to be 
with bed and board, and in that rarer hospitality of the 
mind to new ideas and new people. His personal letters 
had a peculiar charm, and were written in small, clear 
characters which compressed matter and saved space. 
As a preacher he felt the importance of his message in 
his own personal experience, and exemplified the "beauty 
of holiness" in a constant striving after the divine life. 
Deafness contracted during his second chaplaincy at the 
University, from getting overheated in preaching and 



200 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

going out into the snow, was a severe trial, and cut him 
off in a way especially trying to a man so social. But it 
was wonderful how, as he grew older, his saintly and 
loving influence overcame even such "bars of the prison 
house." During the last two years he was one of the 
commission for the Revision of the Italian New Testa- 
ment, and, though really ill and fast failing in bodily 
strength, he worked over it constantly and took the deep- 
est interest in it. Though possessing few of the graces 
of oratory, lie prepared carefully and was an able and 
compelling speaker, eloquent in the sense of the defi- 
nition : "Thought packed until it ignites," and with a 
force of conviction which must always tell on the hearer. 
To the end he took the keenest interest in life and the 
future, but sleeplessness and constant suffering wore the 
delicate frame to gossamer, so that those who loved him 
best felt that it would be cruel to wish for him to stay 
longer. He died on the 28th of September, 1907, and 
his body was laid beside his wife's in the lovely cemetery 
for strangers under the crumbling city walls of Rome. 
His children, who survived him, are Geo. Braxton, Mary 
Argyle, James Spotswood, and Susie Braxton (Mrs. 
D. G. Whittinghill). 

Mary Argyle Taylor. 



WILLIAM N. BUCKLES 
1834-1908 

Carter County, which touches North Carolina, and is 
one of the extreme eastern counties of Tennessee, was 
the birthplace of William N. Buckles. Here he was 
born September 24, 1834. Just one month, to a day, 
after he had reached his majority he was baptized into 
the fellowship of the Old Holston Baptist Church, 
Tennessee. Two years later his mother church licensed 
him to preach, and in 1862 he was ordained to the full 
work of the gospel ministry. At the very beginning of 
the Civil War he enlisted, belonging to First Company 
K, Third Regiment of Tennessee Volunteers, being under 
Colonel John C. Vaughan. To the end of the War, 
either as chaplain or as colporteur or as private soldier, 
Mr. Buckles served, filling the place to which duty 
seemed to point. When the War was over, realizing 
that he needed better preparation for the work of the 
ministry, he entered, although he was now over thirty 
years of age, the Academy at Bluntville, Tenn., and 
remained there as a student for three sessions. In 1868 
he was married to Miss Seraphine Pyle, of Sullivan 
County, Tennessee. This proved a blessed union, marked 
by happiness and love. Four children were born, three 
of whom, with their mother, survived the husband and 
father. 

For some time Mr. Buckles wrought as pastor and 
colporteur in East Tennessee, serving a number of 
churches and organizing the Holston Valley Church, 
which body he led in the building of a house of worship. 
In 1876 he came to Virginia, where the rest of his life 

201 



202 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

was spent. He located in Russell County and became 
pastor of the Lebanon, Bethel, and Honaker Churches. 
On to the end of his life his service was in the New 
Lebanon Association, his residence being part of the time 
at or near Bristol. Before the close of his work came, 
the other churches to which he had ministered were 
Lewis Creek, Oak Grove, Castlewood, Pleasant Hill, 
Green Valley, Liberty Hill, and Cedar Grove. "For a 
number of years he was the moderator of the New 
Lebanon Association, and wisely led his brethren in the 
work." In the gloaming of Sunday, February 2, 1908, 
he fell on sleep. The following Tuesday afternoon, in 
the presence of a multitude of friends, the funeral 
services were conducted by Rev. T. A. Hall. The body 
was laid to rest in the Bethel Cemetery (Russell County), 
a great company of people being present. Concerning 
this servant of God, Rev. C. E. Stuart, in his obituary, 
says : "In this day of glorious harvest we can never 
thank God too much for these pioneer missionaries of the 
cross." 



MORTON BRYAN WHARTON 

1839-1908 

Although the larger part of the ministry of Morton 
Bryan Wharton was given to other sections of the 
country, it must not be forgotten that he was born and 
educated in Virginia, and that here he held, for some 
eight years, an important pastorate. No one could look 
upon the picture of Dr. Wharton, in the Minutes of the 
Southern Baptist Convention for 1909, without being- 
impressed by the signs of intellectual power in his face ; 
the brow was high and broad, the mouth well formed 
and clear cut, and the flash of the eyes brilliant and 
strong. At this same meeting of the Convention, which 
was held in Louisville, Ky., an address on his life and 
work was delivered by Rev. Dr. J. A. French. The 
official relationship that he bore to the Convention was 
that, in 1873, at Mobile, Ala., he was one of the secre- 
taries. This son of Virginia, who was most gifted and 
versatile, was born in Culpeper County, April 5, 1839, 
being the son of Malcom Hart Wharton and Susan 
Roberts Colvin. At the age of eighteen he was con 1 
verted, at Alexandria, Va., and united with the Baptist 
Church of that city. In October, 1858, he entered Rich- 
mond College, where he remained through the session of 
1860-61. His first pastorate was at Bristol, Tenn., where 
he labored for two years. During the other years of the 
War he was evangelist in the army, under Rev. A. E. 
Dickinson, and, later, agent in Georgia to collect funds 
for the Virginia Army Colportage Board. At this period 
of his life he was also, for a time, the agent of the 
Domestic and Indian Mission Board, of the Southern 
Baptist Convention. 

203 



204 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

After the War he became pastor of Eufaula, a church 
he was destined to serve a second time at the end of his 
life. Here in his two pastorates he erected two hand- 
some meeting-houses, and here has been set up, since his 
death, in front of the building in which he preached, a 
monument of him. His other pastorates were Walnut 
Street, Louisville, Ky. ; First Church (Green Street), 
Augusta, Ga. ; First Church, Montgomery, Ala. ; Free- 
mason Street, Norfolk, Va. In this period, however, 
there were several seasons when other work than that of 
the pastor and the preacher engaged his powers. He 
gave himself for some years to an agency for the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, his field being 
Georgia. Gifted as a speaker, with eloquence, humor, 
and pathos, he must have been well-nigh irresistible in 
his appeals for this school of the prophets. Although of 
compact build, and apparently vigorous physically, more 
than once he turned aside from the heavy pressure of 
the pastorate because of broken health. Once, having 
purchased the Christian Index, he filled the editor's chair. 
Another break in his pastoral career was when he spent 
several years in Germany as United States Consul at 
Sonneberg. 

On August 6, 1881, he reached Sonneberg and began 
his work as consul. He described the duties of a consul, 
at an interior town, as consisting "chiefly in the certifica- 
tion of invoices, notarial acts, issuing passports, extend- 
ing protection to American citizens, looking after prop- 
erty of American citizens who die abroad, and writing 
monthly reports, to the Secretary of State at Washing- 
ton, on agricultural and commercial and other interests, 
designed for publication by the State Department." The 
shipments from Sonneberg, at that time, ran up to the 
sum of nearly two millions of dollars, and consisted 
mainly of dolls, toys, musical instruments, china, glass- 



MORTON BRYAN WHARTOX 205 

ware, hosiery, paints, and drugs. There were in the town 
and the surrounding villages over two hundred factories. 
While the consul's office was at Sonneberg, his residence 
was at Coburg. This city, with its castle, palaces, parks, 
mausoleum, and schools and private homes. Dr. Whar- 
ton described as the "most beautiful place I have ever 
seen." While here, he had services every Sunday in his 
own residence and instructed the children in the Sunday 
school. His purpose in accepting this position as consul 
was not to abandon the ministry but to secure a season 
of rest, to educate his children, and to see Europe under 
favorable circumstances. 

In his brief pastorate of less than a year at Augusta 
he succeeded Dr. James Dixon. During these ten months 
some seventy were received into the church, the meeting- 
house was renovated and enlarged, and two new churches 
were constituted. At the rededication of the improved 
church-house Dr. J. A. Broadus was the preacher, his 
subject being "The Woman of Samaria, or Worship." 
While pastor at Augusta he baptized Rev. J. Q.. Adams. 
When he went to Augusta the understanding was that, as 
his health was not good, he was not to preach but once 
a day. As a matter of fact, however, he preached twice 
every Sunday while there. His health did not improve 
in Augusta, so he resigned to go to Germany. An idea 
of the great energy of the man is secured when it is seen 
that, though far from at his best, he did so much. 

Dr. Wharton was an author, and had the poet's vision 
and power of expression. When the Southern Baptist 
Convention met in Norfolk, Va., and was holding its 
sessions at the Freemason Street Church, where Dr. 
Wharton was pastor, he made the address of welcome. 
This address was an original poem, and its delivery, what 
with Dr. Wharton's musical voice and magnetic presence, 
charmed the audience. One of his books, "Pictures from 



206 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

a Pastorium," is a volume of poems. His other volumes 
are: "Men of the Old Testament," "Women of the Old 
Testament," "Women of the New Testament," and 
"European Notes." In this connection it should be 
remembered that Dr. Wharton coined the word "pas- 
torium" as a name to be used, especially by Baptists, to 
describe the church's home for her pastor. The word has 
been given place in the "Standard Dictionary." He was 
singularly gifted as a writer and as a speaker, and was 
scholarly in his aptitudes. He received the degree of 
Doctor of Divinity from Washington and Lee Uni- 
versity, and that of Doctor of Laws from the University 
of Alabama. 

A few days before his death, which took place at 
Atlanta, Ga., July 20, 1908, he assured his brother, 
Dr. H. M. Wharton, that his life work was finished and 
that he was ready and willing to go. His wife, to whom 
he was married August 2, 1864, and who before her 
marriage was Miss Mary Belle Irwin (daughter of 
Rev. Dr. C. M. Irwin), survives him, and also a 
daughter. Mrs. John M. Moon. 



FRANK BROWN BEALE 

1852-1908 

The fourth son of General R. L. T. and Lucy M. 
Beale, Frank Brown Beale, was born near The Hague, 
in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 11, 1852, 
and named for a maternal uncle — a beloved physician — 
Frank Brown. Remarkable for his diminutive size, as 
a babe, he was no less remarkable for his development 
into an active, vigorous, energetic boy. He early dis- 
played great enthusiasm and aptitude for physical sports 
and athletic exercises, and gave promise in boyhood of 
the vigor and endurance which marked him in his future 
labors. 

His education, begun under an elder brother, whose 
school he attended two sessions, was continued near his 
home, and later at an academy conducted by Judge Cole- 
man in Caroline County, Before attending this school, 
in the summer of 1869, he openly confessed Christ at 
Machodoc Church, and was baptized by his brother. 
While still a student, in the eighteenth year of his age, 
without conferring with flesh or blood, he announced, in 
a brief note sent to the Religious Herald, his resolve to 
devote his life to the ministry of the gospel. 

He spent two sessions at Richmond College, and, at the 
call of his mother church, was ordained on November 
16, 1873. Elders Wm. H. Kirk, Wayland F. Dunaway, 
Geo. H. Northam, and Geo. W. Beale took part in the 
ordaining service. Dr. Thomas S. Dunaway, his revered 
friend, sent the charge prepared for the occasion, since 
he was unable to be present. 

His ministry began at once with Menokin, Nomini, 
and Machodoc Churches, and the divine favor rested 

207 



208 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

signally on his labors. Soon after beginning his work- 
on this field he was induced to hold night services in the 
town of Tappahannock. where the old Episcopal Church 
edifice of Colonial days was in use for Baptist preaching. 
Despite the increased mental and physical labor required, 
the necessity of crossing the river in a small boat — often 
under adverse conditions of weather — and other diffi- 
culties, this work enlisted his warmest interest, and he 
gave to it the ardent enthusiasm of his nature, with the 
result that, in 1876, a church was organized, the old 
courthouse purchased, renovated, and dedicated, and the 
spiritual body and place of worship were styled Centen- 
nial. With but a brief interval this church, in which he 
felt a peculiar joy, shared his ministration and grew 
under his care until failing health terminated his work, 
in May, 1908. He was permitted to see their number 
increase to 117, a parsonage provided, and the church 
become strong in the intelligence, piety, and liberality of 
their membership. While connected with his first pas- 
toral charge he attended lectures for one session at the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the churches 
having generously released him to do so, and at the same 
time retaining him as pastor and paying his salary. 

Before leaving his home in Westmoreland he married, 
in December, 1882, Miss Susie Garnett (daughter of 
Dr. John M. Garnett, of Newtown), a union which 
proved one of unalloyed happiness to him and gave him 
a companion whose charm of person, Christian woman- 
hood, and sweet graces of character greatly strengthened 
his hand and blessed his ministry. As the fruits of this 
union his home was brightened with a daughter and a 
son, both of whom survive. 

In 1889 he resigned the care of the churches in the 
Northern Neck, which he had served for fourteen years, 
and located in Tappahannock as pastor of Ephesus 



FRANK BROW'X BEALE 209 

Church in conjunction with Centennial. The care of 
Ephesus was held for three years, when he accepted that 
of Howerton's, and in 1892 that of Upper King and 
Queen, the latter being the well-trained body which had 
enjoyed the pastoral nurture and leadership of the two 
Andrew Broadduses for man}- years. In this field — Cen- 
tennial, Howerton's, and Upper King and Queen — 
numbering approximately five hundred members, he was 
in the position in which he was destined to toil for sixteen 
years and to accomplish his best work. These churches 
steadily grew in strength, in efficiency, and in liberality 
to the cause of Christ, under his guidance, and the 
relationship between them and their pastor continued to 
the last, fraternal, cordial, and tender. The striking ele- 
ments of his success were his intense and unwearied 
earnestness, the breadth and warmth of his sympathies, 
and the unfailing cordiality of his manners. These made 
him ready to respond to every call of pastoral duty, and 
to visit the sick, comfort the sorrowing, and to render 
the last sad rites of burial within, and often beyond, the 
bounds of his own field. 

Amidst the multiplied activities of his pastorates he 
still found occasions to aid other pastors in special meet- 
ings, and in many parts of the State and beyond its 
bounds his labors were blessed in the conversion of 
hundreds of souls, and many a mature Christian along 
the track of these labors gratefully acknowledged that 
he derived from his earnest spirit and burning words 
impulses towards a higher and holier life. 

Our brother was for thirty-five years a member of the 
Rappahannock Association, and during this long period 
was never absent from one of its annual sessions. He 
served this body as clerk for over twenty years, and 
became a recognized and trusted leader in its affairs. 
His deep interest, sound judgment, fervid speech, and 



210 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

cordial manner bound the brotherhood to him in con- 
riding and tender bonds. When death removed him from 
them they placed on their minutes this testimonial to his 
work: "The Rappahannock Association has sustained no 
greater loss in thirty years or more; we shall not soon 
see his like again." He was scarcely less interested in 
the General Association and its work, and had become a 
familiar figure in its sessions. He served often on 
important committees in that body, and his voice was 
not infrequently heard in addresses and discussions 
before it. 

For a year or more previous to his death he showed 
symptoms of failing health, but his ever-sanguine and 
hopeful temperament forbade his looking upon his con- 
dition as serious. A fatal malady, however, was insidi- 
ously preying upon Iris vitals, and in the spring of 1908 
his loss of flesh, frequent inability to retain his food, 
and growing weakness made the suspension of his work 
imperative. All that the tenderest care of friends, the 
thoughtful kindness of his churches, the skill of phy- 
sicians, and the change of scene could do, was done for 
his relief; but it was God's will that he should lay his 
armor down and exchange his cross for his crown, and 
after weeks of increasing debility, without suffering or 
loss of his serene and cheerful composure, on the after- 
noon of July 31, 1908, he gently and calmly fell on sleep. 

His burial was made at Upper King and Queen 
Meeting-House, and the funeral services, on a sweet 
Lord's Day morning, drew together a sympathetic multi- 
tude, amongst whom were hundreds whose moistened 
cheeks and irrepressible sobs betokened their sense of 
grief and loss. His intimate friend and beloved co- 
laborer, Andrew Broaddus, delivered the sermon, in the 
course of which he said : "He was so good, so noble, so 
brave, so tender and true, so inexpressibly dear to me 






FRANK BROWN BEALE 211 

that I know not how to speak. I am overwhelmed, I am 
crushed, I am broken-hearted. ... As I think of 
his life, so crowded with work, so rich with achievements, 
so fragrant with grace and godliness, my first thought is 
what a blessing he has been to the world. When God 
called Abraham to go forth from kindred and country, 
his parting injunction to him was: 'Be thou a blessing,' 
and so I think when He called Frank Beale to his life's 
work He gave him the same command. How faithfully 
he kept it !" 

While he reclined on his couch of illness, and the 
deepening shadows gathered, the Trustees of Richmond 
College conferred upon him the honorary title of D. D., 
and when he had been laid to his rest Upper King and 
Queen Church, and other friends, placed a monument at 
his grave; Centennial Church commemorated him by 
changing its name to Beale Memorial ; Menokin Church 
paid him the tribute of a marble tablet beside the pulpit, 
and the Maryland Avenue Church, of Washington, D. C, 
held a memorial service in his honor. Thus approved 
and honored of men, he passed to the high reward of 
those who, having "turned many to righteousness," "shall 
shine as the brightness of the firmament" and "as the 
stars forever and ever." 

G. W. Beale. 



I. T. KERN 
1908 

The obituary in the Minutes of the General Associa- 
tion of Virginia furnishes the only information secured 
about the life of Rev. I. T. Kern. His father was the 
Rev. Isaac Kern, who for fifty-four years preached the 
gospel in the bounds of the Clinch Valley Association. 
Southwest Virginia, the same section in which his son 
preached for fourteen years. The son, whose death 
occurred about the end of the summer 1908, was a good 
and faithful minister of Christ. The obituary in the 
Minutes of the General Association was prepared by 
Rev. J- B. Craft. 



212 



JOHN BROADUS TURPIN 

1848-1909 

John Broadus Turpin was born at "Woodwell," Hen- 
rico County, Virginia, the home of his maternal grand- 
father, Jesse Frayser Keesee, September 28, 1848. His 
father's father was Rev. Miles Turpin, whose name is 
associated with Four Mile Creek Baptist Church, his only 
pastorate. His parents were Elisha Straughan Turpin 
and Elizabeth Keesee. . When he was five years old his 
parents moved to Richmond. He attended school, as a 
boy, in Richmond, and was a diligent scholar. As he 
passed from boyhood to youth he was able to escape the 
temptations of this period of life, and one who knew 
him well testifies that "no impure word ever escaped his 
lips, no doubtful associations soiled his life." While still 
a youth he made a profession of religion and was bap- 
tized into the fellowship of the Leigh Street Baptist 
Church by the pastor, Rev. Dr. J. B. Solomon. A little 
later he, with two other youths, S. C. Clopton and J. A. 
French, came into fine fellowship and friendship during 
a great meeting in the pastorate of Rev. Dr. A. E. Dick- 
inson. While still a youth he manifested great interest 
in public speaking and talent in that direction. He loved 
to frequent the court room, where he heard many of the 
ablest lawyers of the day. In a Temperance Society of 
the Leigh Street Sunday School, and in the Church Hill 
Literary Society he took an active part. Although at 
this period of his life he was for a season a clerk in the 
hardware store of James L. Porter, 17th and Franklin 
Streets, his ambition pointed to a path in which public 
speaking was important. Soon he decided to be a lawyer. 

213 



214 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

With this hope he entered Richmond College. A spell 
of sickness having prevented his completing the academic 
course, he became a member of the law class, and in 1871 
received, along with C. V. Meredith and others, his B. L. 
diploma. At the same commencement J. E. L. Holmes 
won his B. A. degree. He and Mr. Turpin, during their 
student days, had established in Fulton, a section of 
Richmond, a German Sunday School. 

The young lawyer set out upon his chosen profession. 
Before long, however, he was laid low by a very severe 
spell of illness. His life hung in the balance. He came 
near to the gates of death. Public prayers were offered 
for his recovery. Upon his restoration to health he 
informed his loved ones that during his illness he had 
made a vow that if his life was spared he would become 
a minister of the gospel. He at once took steps to keep 
his vow. He abandoned the law, and, without any train- 
ing at a theological seminary, began to preach. He 
supplied for a season, first at a church in King William 
County, and then for Dr. Thomas Hume, Jr., the pastor 
of the First Church of Danville, Va. Shortly after 
Mr. Turpin decided to become a preacher, Rev. A. H. 
Sands congratulated him on the change he was making, 
saying that it was harder to preach than to be a lawyer. 
Mr. Turpin replied that doubtless to do both was still 
harder. (Mr. Sands was for a time both preacher and 
lawyer. ) 

Upon being called to the Black Walnut field, in Hali- 
fax County, Virginia, his ordination to the ministry took 
place, at Leigh Street Baptist Church, June 22, 1873. 
Dr. J. L. Burrows preached the sermon, his text being 
Acts 9:20; Dr. J. B. Jeter delivered the charge, Prof. 
H. H. Harris made the prayer, and Dr. J. R. Garlick 
delivered the Bible. The following fall, on November 
13, he was married to Miss Susie Lamar Curry, the 
only daughter of Dr. J. L. M. Curry. Mr. Turpin 



JOHN BROADUS TURPIN 215 

remained in the Halifax pastorate some five years, until 
he accepted a call to the Baptist Church in Warrenton, 
Va., to succeed Dr. John L. Carroll. Here another five 
years were spent, and here Mr. Turpin exhibited some 
characteristics which were to be important factors in his 
subsequent career. We see him at Warrenton organizing 
his young people for Bible study and Christian work. 
Remember that this was before the days of Christian 
Endeavor and B. Y. P. U. Societies. He always had 
great success in reaching and training children and young 
people of his churches. He deserves the credit of having 
organized the first young people's society in Virginia, at 
least in the Baptist ranks. While in Warrenton he suf- 
fered a great sorrow in the death of his wife. She left 
two children, Mary Lamar and Manly Curry. 

On July 4, 1884, Mr. Turpin accepted a call to the 
Charlottesville Baptist Church. In Charlottesville he did 
his real life work. He was pastor here twice, first for 
twelve years and then for eight years. Between these 
two terms of service in Charlottesville was a pastorate 
of two and a half years in Americus, Ga., and another 
at Carrollton, Mo. The fact that he was twice pastor 
in Charlottesville, each time for so many years, is a sug- 
gestive commentary on the character of his work in this 
university town. This church had had such remarkably 
able pastors as Wm. F. Broaddus, Jno. A. Broadus, and 
Jno. C. Long, and a mile away was the University of 
Virginia. Mr. Turpin was a decided success in his work 
in Charlottesville. He could scarcely be called a great 
preacher, but he was unquestionably a great pastor. He 
had great tact, he was interested in people, he remem- 
bered faces and names, he was systematic and unceasing 
in his work, he was cordial in his manner, he was skilful 
in organization, he was careful as to his dress, he knew 
how to reach young people and children, he was consider- 
ate of others. Above and beyond all these things, he had 



216 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

the "shepherd heart," and he loved God and his neighbor. 
He was a great believer in tracts, which have been called 
the side arms in Christian work and warfare, and he 
always kept a good supply of them on hand, having them 
so arranged in pigeonholes as to be able, in a moment, 
t< i lay his hand on just what he wanted. The Charlottes- 
ville Church made great demands on their pastor in the 
matter of visits, and perhaps no pastor ever came nearer 
meeting these demands than did Mr. Turpin. At one 
time he had a buggy and a little black horse, and this 
trio seemed almost ubiquitous. Charlottesville is not a 
large place, and yet for its population it has magnificent 
distances. The Sunday school was prosperous in a high 
degree, and the congregations from week to week were 
large, while upon an extra occasion, such as a Children's 
Day, the crowds taxed the capacity of the spacious 
meeting-house, and a more reverent and enthusiastic 
crowd it would have been hard to find. While it has 
been said that Mr. Turpin was not a great preacher, let 
it not be supposed that he was weak in the pulpit. He 
was faithful and conscientious in the preparation of his 
sermons. He was felicitous in his use of illustrations. 
He did not have a voice of unusual range, but it was 
pleasant, and he used it well. His manner, when he 
spoke, was easy yet dignified. He commanded attention 
for his message. He had a forceful English style. 
While in Charlottesville Mr. Turpin was an active cham- 
pion of the temperance cause, and before moving away 
the second time he had the joy of seeing the town go 
"dry." 

During his first pastorate in Charlottesville his church, 
(indeed, it might rather be said the town) enjoyed three 
great revivals of religion. During his second pastorate 
the present meeting-house, an unusually handsome and 
attractive structure, was erected. He was ever most 
gracious to his brethren in the ministry, with a peculiarly 



JOHN BROADUS TURPIX 217 

cordial and helpful spirit towards the young pastor just 
winning his spurs. In the Albemarle Association, of 
which body his church was a member, he was a leader. 
At the centennial session of the Association, held at 
Chestnut Grove Church, August 19, 1891, he preached 
the special historical sermon, which he afterwards 
enlarged and published in booklet form. 

Mr. Turpin was not of a robust physical build. He 
was often in danger of overtaxing his power. Concern 
as to his health was one cause of his going to Americus, 
Ga. While in Americus he was called on to take part in 
the services at the funeral of Speaker Crisp, of the House 
of Representatives. The prayer which he made on this 
occasion so impressed one of the Congressional party 
that a copy of it was secured for the official printed 
record of the occasion. In his various pastorates 
Mr. Turpin was always cordial in his help towards the 
colored people, and always highly esteemed and loved by 
them. He had a keen sense of humor, loved a good joke, 
and with his hearty laugh more than rewarded the one 
who had furnished the fun. He was himself quite ready 
with a good story. For commencement addresses he was 
much in demand, and, at the time of his death, was 
engaged for speeches at two such functions. During his 
second pastorate in Charlottesville he was married to 
Miss Rosa Bibb Smith, the daughter of J. Marion and 
Nellie Timberlake Smith. Miss Smith was of Albemarle 
County, and this marriage took place at the First Baptist 
Church, Charlottesville, September 3, 1890. She sur- 
vives her husband. On Wednesday, January 20, 1915, 
she was married at Shadwell, Albemarle County, Vir- 
ginia, to Judge William Francis Rhea. 

When Mr. Turpin resigned at Charlottesville the 
second time it was to accept the pastorate of the First 
Baptist Church of Parkersburg, W. Va. Scarcely had he 
been on this field a year when, February 3, 1909, he 
departed this life. The body was laid to rest in "Holly- 
wood," Richmond. 



JOHN WILLIAM JONES 
1836-1909 

A class poem, called "The Boys," written in 1859 by 
Oliver Wendell Holmes, has these lines descriptive of 
Dr. S. F. Smith, the author of our national hymn : 

"And there's a nice youngster of excellent pith, 
Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith; 
But he shouted a song for the brave and the free, 
Just read on his medal 'My Country of Thee'." 

The name of John William Jones is so associated with 
the Civil War and with its two great generals, Lee and 
Jackson, that he, like S. F. Smith, has overcome the dis- 
advantage of having a name borne by so many. 

On the morning of April 17, 1861, as the Louisa 
Blues, a volunteer company, were drilling on the court- 
house green at Louisa Court House, Va., a telegram 
from the Governor of the State ordered the company to 
be ready to leave for the front by sunset. At that hour 
a great crowd gathered to see the young soldiers depart. 
A venerable minister of the gospel spoke tender words 
of farewell and made an earnest prayer to God. Amidst 
tears and shouts these boys, who were to wear the gray, 
went off. John William Jones was a member of this 
company. He was the son of Col. Francis William and 
Ann Pendleton Ashby, having been born at Louisa Court 
House, September 25, 1836. In a protracted meeting at 
Mechanicsville Baptist Church, Louisa County, in 
August, 1855, under the preaching of Rev. George B. 
Taylor, Mr. Jones was converted and baptized. That 
fall he entered the University of Virginia. This session 
his roommate was John C, Hiden, and they had as their 

218 



JOHN WILLIAM JONES 219 

quarters Room No. 1, Mrs. Daniel's boarding house. 
This room, which was close to the dining-room, became 
the rendezvous, after supper, for a half-hour of fun and 
song before hard work began, such men as these drop- 
ping in : H. H. and Jerry Harris, Tom Hume, John L. 
Johnson, Eddie Bowie, John C. James, Cullingworth, 
Estes, and Boston — not an idler among them, all fine 
students. During his student days Mr. Jones was an 
earnest Christian. He was active in the Y. M. C. A., 
which was organized in 1858, the first college Y. M. C. A. 
in the world. Its constitution was adopted October 12, 
and when the officers were elected the place of treasurer 
was given to Mr. Jones. This Association organized a 
prayer-meeting in every boarding house and in every sec- 
tion of the University, established Bible classes, kept up 
a well-attended prayer-meeting Sunday afternoon, sent 
out teachers and workers to Sunday schools and religious 
services in destitute sections within eight or ten miles of 
the University, and, under the superintendence of Dr. 
John B. Minor, maintained a negro Sunday school. 
In this work Mr. Jones took deep interest. From Sunday 
to Sunday, although he did not love to walk, he tramped 
five miles to teach in a Sunday school among the 
mountains. During a protracted meeting held in the 
University, under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A., there 
were in his dormitory eight students ; the four who were 
professors of religion made special effort and prayer for 
the other four, and before the meeting closed all eight 
were followers of Jesus. From the University he went to 
Greenville, S. C, to attend the first session of the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His name 
stands as the first matriculate of the Seminary, he being- 
one of the ten that Virginia sent that year, the total 
enrollment being twenty-six. On June 10, 1860, at the 
Baptist Church, Charlottesville, four young men, namely, 



220 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Crawford H. Toy, John L. Johnson, James B. Taylor, 
Jr., and John William Jones, were ordained to the gospel 
ministry. Less than a month later, on July 3, Mr. Jones 
was accepted by the Foreign Mission Board, in Rich- 
mond, for work in Canton, China. This year was a 
most eventful one for him. On December 20, at "Oak- 
ley,*' Nelson County, a country residence commanding a 
fine view, he was married to Miss Judith Page Helm, who 
was to prove in every way a noble helpmeet. (The cere- 
mony was performed by Dr. Wm. D. Thomas.) In 
1888, at a District Association, a lady came up to 
Dr. Jones and said: "Do you not know me? I was a 
bridesmaid at your marriage." He was candid enough 
to admit that he did not recognize her, whereupon a 
friend suggested that his attention had been so centered 
on the bride that he did not see any one else. This same 
winter he became pastor of the Little River Baptist 
Church, Louisa County, with a once-a-month appoint- 
ment. 

In the spring of 1861 the "blast of war'' sounded in 
the ears of the Southern people, and, as already men- 
tioned, Mr. Jones went out with a company from his own 
county. It was not long before he became a chaplain in 
the army, but it is interesting to note that he went out as 
a private. It was during the first year of the mighty 
struggle, when the first flush of victory had lowered the 
moral tone in the Southern Army, that a brigadier- 
general fell off his horse on review and lay drunk in his 
quarters for weeks, with sentinels to guard him. One of 
these sentinels was our young soldier, who, speaking of 
this episode, says : "For many a weary hour I paced the 
sentinel's beat in front of those headquarters, my only 
orders being not to disturb the general." Mr. Jones tells 
of another disgraceful scene. Gambling became common 
and open. Col. A. P. Hill ordered the officer of the 



JOHN WILLIAM JONES 221 

guard to take a file of men and capture the faro-bank 
that was doing a big business. Mr. Jones, one of the 
detail, was stationed at the door, with orders to arrest all 
who attempted to escape. The first who tried to pass 
out was a prominent politician, who was fond of gaming, 
and who was on a visit to his son. He protested against 
being detained, saying that he was a citizen and a mem- 
ber of the Legislature, but the young soldier's bayonet 
prevented his escape. These two events are the more 
striking in this life story, as the subject of this sketch 
was so associated with the religious life of the Arm}- of 
Northern Virginia. First as chaplain, and then as army 
evangelist, he sought 'in every way the physical and 
spiritual welfare of the soldiers. For the full story of 
the religious life of the army, and the part that Mr. Jones 
bore in it, the reader must turn to "Christ in the Camp," 
a book which, a few years ago, Dr. B. H. Carroll, of 
Texas, described as "priceless," and as "a great Virginia 
book" that should "live forever." This volume, prepared 
by Dr. Jones after the War, was largely based on his own 
experiences and on the letters that he w T rote from camp to 
the Religious Herald, Christian Index, and other papers. 
In the first personal interviews that Mr. Jones had with 
Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson his business was 
the religious interests of the soldiers and officers. In 
February, 1864, when the army was on the Rapidan, 
Rev. B. T. Lacy and he went to General Lee, a committee 
from the Chaplains' Association, in reference to a better 
observance of the Sabbath. They were received with 
"marked courtesy and respect," the great man's eye 
brightening and his whole face glowing with pleasure as 
he heard details in regard to the great revival that was 
then sweeping through his army, and, the day after, he 
issued a "general order" calling for a reduction, to the 
minimum, of military work on Sunday, and expressing- 



222 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

satisfaction that there were houses of worship and 
religious sendees in the camp. Mr. Jones' first interview 
with "Stonewall" Jackson was when, on July 4, 1861, 
the army being drawn up in line of battle at Darkesville 
to meet General Patterson, he sought permission for a 
colporteur, Rev. C. F. Fry, to distribute Bibles and tracts 
in the lines. His request was at once granted and the 
colporteur introduced. Along with many other chaplains, 
Mr. Jones was active "in season and out of season," 
preaching, distributing Bibles and other good literature, 
working in revivals, and seeking, by letters to the public 
press, to secure more chaplains for the work. As a rule 
there was preaching every day, and, at least once, 
Mr. Jones preached four times in one day. On Sunday, 
September 6, 1863, he preached at six o'clock in the 
morning to his own brigade, at eleven o'clock he attended 
an ordination service at the Orange Court House Baptist 
Church, in the afternoon he witnessed, along with a 
crowd of five thousand men, the baptism, in a creek near 
the railroad, of eighty-two soldiers, and at dusk he 
preached, by the light of fire stands, to five thousand men 
seated on logs. Once, when he reached his appointment 
for preaching, it was raining, and he suggested that per- 
haps the service could not be held, but the men wanted 
to stay, and so the sermon was preached in the rain. On 
another occasion the sermon had not been reached when 
a shell fell in the midst of the congregation ; at the sug- 
gestion of the officer in charge, the congregation moved 
to a more protected place and the sermon was delivered. 
One of the most beautiful features of the religious work 
in the army was the fraternal spirit of the ministers of 
the various denominations. No one was more fully 
possessed with this spirit than Mr. Jones, yet he was 
withal a most decided Baptist. Dr. T. D. Witherspoon, 
a distinguished Presbyterian minister, told, as a joke on 



JOHN WILLIAM JONES 223 

Jones, a story that was possibly more of a joke on him- 
self. It was customary in the army that when a soldier, 
upon a profession of faith, desired to unite with some 
other denomination than that of the minister conducting 
the service, he was directed to a minister of the denomi- 
nation of his choice. Upon the invitation of Dr. Wither- 
spoon, Dr. Jones had gone over to his brigade, cut the ice 
on a mill-pond, and baptized a number of men. In the 
service he had read, without comment, some of the 
Scripture passages bearing on baptism. The next day 
one of the men went to Chaplain Witherspoon and said : 
"I do not think you ought to invite Brother Jones to come 
over here any more." When asked why he felt this way, 
the man replied that he did not think that Brother Jones 
had a right to read to the crowd "all of them Baptist 
Scriptures." In one of his reports Mr. Jones stated -that 
during the year he had baptized 222 candidates, having 
preached 161 sermons. At another time his record 
showed that in one month he baptized 67 men. Once 
at Peyton's Ford, on the Rapidan River, when the 
stream, owing to recent rains, was very swift, he baptized 
twelve young men; an old citizen told him that fifty 
years before, at the same place, Mrs. General Madison, 
sister-in-law to the President, had been baptized, the 
President and a great crowd being present. On two 
occasions Mr. Jones baptized in the Rapidan in full view 
of the Union pickets, but there was no motion on their 
part to interrupt the ordinance. Once, in 1864, on a 
moonlight night, after a sermon in Wright's Georgia 
Brigade, Mr. Jones received nine for baptism, but 
scarcely had he announced that the ordinance would take 
place the next morning at nine o'clock when the "long 
roll" sounded, and in a few moments the men were on 
the march towards what proved to be a series of bloody 
battles. Before there was another chance to baptize these 



224 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

candidates three were dead and three in prison. While 
the conflict was raging around Petersburg, one day- 
Mr. Jones, assisted by John R. Bagby, was distributing 
tracts in the trenches, at a time when the shells were 
bursting close at hand and the Minie balls whistled 
through the air. One man, who was so fortunate as to 
have a frying-pan and something to fry. was calmly pre- 
paring his meal, when a Minie struck in the center of 
the fire and threw the ashes in every direction. The 
man's comment was: "Plague take them fellows. I 
'spect they'll spile my grease before they stop their 
foolishness." A little later the major suggested that the 
party go into the noonday prayer-meeting that was being 
held in the "boom proof" ; the service that followed was 
a precious and tender one. One day Mr. Jones was 
riding along the lines at Petersburg with Carter, his little 
boy, on the pummel of the saddle. The little fellow 
amused himself giving the "military salute" to the "men 
in gray" as he passed along. Presently one of them 
called out : "How do you do, General?" The child 
proudly replied : "I am no General, Sir, I am a Baptist 
preacher." Some years later, when General Lee was 
President of Washington and Lee University and 
Mr. Jones pastor of the Lexington Baptist Church, the 
same boy was being caressed and petted by General Lee. 
General Lee said : "Ah, Carter, I hope to live long 
enough to give you a high diploma." The boy replied: 
"General, I am not going to your college; I am going to 
graduate at Richmond College and then I am going to 
be a Master of Arts of the University of Virginia, a full 
graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 
and a Baptist preacher." "Well, my boy," answered 
General Lee, "you have marked off a noble course for 
yourself, and I hope you may be able to carry it out to 
the letter." Before the War was over, in the many 



JOHN WILLIAM JONES 225 

religious meetings that had been held, it is estimated that 
no less than 15,000 men had made profession of their 
faith in Christ, and of this number Mr. Jones had bap- 
tized 410. In after years Mr. Jones had abundant evi- 
dence that very many, perhaps the larger proportion, of 
the men who made profession of religion during the War 
became faithful church members when they returned 
home. 

In 1865 Mr. Jones became pastor of the Goshen Bridge 
and Lexington Churches, in Rockbridge County, Vir- 
ginia. After a year he gave his whole service to the 
work at Lexington. He. reached the town about the same 
time that General Lee assumed the presidency of Wash- 
ington College (now Washington and Lee University). 
It so happened that there was no other pastor in the town 
who could give himself to active association with the 
students at the college and the cadets at the Virginia 
Military Institute save Mr. Jones, who was thus brought 
into close touch with General Lee. Mr. Jones says of 
this work : "I held well-attended prayer-meetings at the 
Institute every night, attended, every morning, the prayers 
at the college, and the frequent Y. M. C. A. meetings of 
the students, and did a good deal of visiting in the rooms 
of the college students and the barracks of the Institute. 
The happiest results followed these labors; there were 
a number of conversions among the students, and soon 
we had a general and all-pervasive revival among the 
cadets of the Institute, in which 110 of them professed 
conversion. In the college and the Institute both there 
were 150 professions of conversion, and of these, 35 
became ministers of the gospel, and others were useful 
church members. ... A distinguished Episcopal 
bishop, whom I met some years ago, after talking about 
the revival and his conversion in it, said to me : 'The first 
theological instruction I ever received was in the New 



226 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Testament Greek class you used to teach at the Institute.' 
General Lee, meeting me on the lawn one day, inquired 
after the revival at the Institute and said with a good 
deal of feeling: 'That is the best news I have heard 
since I have been in Lexington. Oh, that we might have 
such a revival in our college and in all the colleges of 
the country' !" His relationship to General Lee at this 
period, as well as his acquaintance with him during the 
War, led to his writing his "Personal Reminiscences, 
Anecdotes, and Letters of R. E. Lee." a book that had a 
sale of over 20,000 copies. 

In 1871 he left Lexington to become agent for the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In September, 
1873, he became General Superintendent of the Sunday 
School and Bible Board of the Baptist General Associa- 
tion of Virginia. Until he resigned this work, on 
June 1. 1874, he regarded himself as a Sunday-school 
missionary, visiting as many Sunday schools and 
churches as possible, attending many District Associa- 
tions and Sunday-School Conventions, coming into per- 
sonal contact with Sunday-school workers, and endeavor- 
ing, by pen and tongue, to rally the workers and to disci- 
pline the army for better work. In 1874 he received the 
degree of Doctor of Divinity from Washington and Lee 
University, and the following year, living in Richmond, 
became pastor of the Ashland Church, and at the same 
time being Secretary of the Southern Historical Society. 
The main work of this last office was that of editing the 
Southern Historical Society Papers. Under Dr. Jones' 
direction fourteen volumes of this publication appeared. 
During the active years that remained of his life, Dr. 
Jones was, first, for some years the Assistant Secretary 
of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist 
Convention, Atlanta, Ga., then for two years Chaplain 
to the University of Virginia, and finally Chaplain of the 



JOHN WILLIAM JONES 227 

Miller Manual School, Albemarle County. In connection 
with these positions he was busy with his pen, before his 
death giving to the world, besides the books already men- 
tioned, the "J e ff erson Davis Memorial Volume," the 
"Army of Northern Virginia Memorial Volume," a 
"School History of the United States," the "Life and 
Letters of R. E. Lee," and "The Soldier and Man." For 
his "School History" he had been reading and gathering 
material for twenty years. These books by no means 
represent all of his pen work. Probably there was never 
a year when he was not correspondent or reporter for 
one or more papers, either regularly or for special occa- 
sions or conventions. This newspaper work seems to 
have begun when a brother preacher turned over to him 
an engagement with the Richmond Dispatch. For this 
paper Dr. Jones wrote many years over the signature of 
"Viator." Dr. Jones had a large private and semi-public 
correspondence, and much of this work he did without 
the aid or before the day of stenographers. His hand- 
writing was bold, large, and almost as plain as print, and 
his "Yours to count on," with which he closed many a 
letter, gave pleasure, and almost passed into a proverb 
among his friends, seeming to be an index of the charac- 
ter of the man. He was warm-hearted and enthusiastic 
in his make-up, and loyal, in a very noble sense and to a 
high degree, to cause or principle or person when once 
he had committed himself. His devotion to the South, 
her generals and men and destiny, his strong adherence 
to Baptist doctrines and agencies for service, his willing- 
ness to help a friend at any cost, illustrate the remark as 
to the loyalty of his character. Not only with his pen 
and as a preacher did Dr. Jones serve his day and coming 
generations. He had a number of lectures touching the 
history of War, one on Lee, another on "Stonewall" 
Jackson, and yet another called the "Boys in Gray," that 



228 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

he delivered far and wide, not only in the South, but also 
in the North. Boston gave him an overflowing audience 
to hear one of these lectures, and the respect and courtesy 
the audience showed him on this occasion greatly 
delighted him. Towards the close of his life he was 
elected Chaplain-General of the United Confederate 
Veterans and to the office of Secretary and Superintend- 
ent of the Confederate Memorial Association. For years 
not a few before the end came, it was fine, at the 
Southern Baptist Convention and sometimes at other 
annual Baptist gatherings, to see "The Jones Boys," as 
Dr. Jones and his four preacher boys — Carter Helm, 
Pendleton, Ashby, and Howard — came to be called, in 
admiration and affection, by the brotherhood. The 
father, in a wonderful way, preserved his youthful spirit, 
and the fellowship and camaraderie among the five was 
inspiring to behold. Each of these sons has had a useful 
career, and as they still stand, in the vigor of service and 
power, the}- are a noble illustration of the sterling worth, 
real piety, and strong personality of their parents. The 
fifth son, Frank, is a lawyer. 

Dr. Jones died, in Columbus, Ga., March 17, 1909, at 
the home of his son, Rev. M. Ashby Jones, and the body 
was taken to Richmond, Va., where he had lived so long 
and the capital of the Confederacy that he loved so well. 
The service in Richmond was conducted by these minis- 
ters : Ryland Knight, W. R. L. Smith, W. H. Whitsitt, 
E. L. Grace, and Wm. E. Hatcher. The body was laid 
to rest in Hollywood. Memorial services were held in 
Ashland, where he had been pastor, and in May, at the 
session of the Southern Baptist Convention, in Louisville, 
Ky., an address w T as delivered by Dr. W. H. Whitsitt 
upon the character and work of Dr. Jones. 



JAMES HENRY BARNES 

1833-1909 

Among those who bore part in the organization of the 
Liberty Baptist Church, New Kent County, Virginia, 
were Mr. William H. Barnes and his wife, who was, 
before her marriage, Miss Lucy Saunders. They were 
both born in New Kent, but soon after their marriage 
they moved to James City County, and here, on Septem- 
ber 23, 1833, their son, James H., was born, and here he 
grew to manhood. Hickory Neck Academy, located in 
James City County, and one of the "best classical schools 
that the South was noted for before the Civil War," 
helped the young man towards an education, preparing 
him for William and Mary College, at which famous 
institution he was a student the sessions of 1854-55 and 
1855-56. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted, 
serving first under General Joseph E. Johnston and then, 
as a courier and clerk, under General R. E. Lee. He con- 
tinued in the service until near the end of the War, when 
he was taken prisoner. After the close of the War, 
returning to his home, he sought, first as a school-teacher, 
to do all in his power, at this trying time, for the good 
of his country. From the desk of the pedagogue he 
passed to the pulpit, being ordained to the gospel ministry 
at Liberty Church and becoming pastor of this flock. To 
this people he ministered longer than to any other, and 
there are many living in that community who give testi- 
mony to the far-reaching blessings of his influence. In 
the course of his ministry the other country churches of 
which he was pastor were Samaria, James City, Har- 
mony Grove, Macedonia, Spring Hill, and Eastville, 

229 



230 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

located in the counties of Northampton, Middlesex, 
Gloucester, and Mathews. The towns of Williamsburg, 
Richmond ( Fulton Church ) , and Baltimore were also his 
fields of labor before his work ended. In this last-named 
city he founded the Hampden Baptist Church. His 
preaching was characterized by "simplicity, earnestness, 
directness, and spirituality," and was eloquent withal. 
For some years before his death he was afflicted with 
total blindness, which made it necessary for him to give 
up his regular pastoral work, but he still continued to 
preach, and many thought his messages after the days 
of his great affliction were with greater power and ten- 
derness than ever before. "Through a long life he loved 
God and loved his fellow-men, and, though independent 
of opinion and fearless in upholding the right, he was 
ever patient, tender, and generous, and was loved, 
honored, and esteemed by all who knew him." He died 
at the residence of his brother-in-law, Mr. Ben Joe 
Vaughan, in Ware Neck, April 7, 1909. The funeral 
and burial took place at Poroporone Church, King and 
Queen County. The services, which were attended by a 
large crowd (some of the people from the Harmony 
Grove Church coming across the country over winter 
roads), were conducted by Rev. W. W. Sisk, assisted by 
Rev. R. A. Folkes, Rev. H. J. Goodwin, and Rev. W. E. 
Wiatt. The sermon, from the text "I have fought a 
good fight," was preached by Mr. Sisk. Mr. Barnes was 
married twice. His first wife, to whom he was married, 
at Liberty Church, January 1, 1885, was Miss Mary 
Florence Binns. Of this union there were born two 
daughters, Macon E. and Mary F. Barnes. His second 
wife, who survives him, and to whom he was married, 
at Poroporone Church, November 13, 1894, was Miss- 
Florence Celeste Mann. 



JOHN MILTON WILLIS 

1849-1909 

It would be interesting to have the statistics as to men 
who had first been lawyers or physicians and then became 
ministers of the gospel, and of those who had given up 
the ministry for one of these professions. After a num- 
ber of years as a successful attorney-at-law, John Milton 
Willis entered the ministry and gave the remainder of 
his life to this calling. He was born in Orange County, 
at "Spring Hill," the home of his parents, on August 12, 
1849. His father was James Willis and his mother 
Elizabeth Gordon, a daughter of Rev. John Churchill 
Gordon ; of this minister a sketch will be found in "Lives 
of Virginia Baptist Ministers," Second Series. The sub- 
ject of the present sketch spent his early days on his 
father's farm, upon the Rapidan River, and attended the 
"old-field" school located on his father's lands. Locust 
Dale Academy, under the management of Mr. Andrew J. 
Gordon, next ministered to his educational life, and then 
he became a student of law at Richmond College. Upon 
leaving Richmond College, in 1871, he engaged in the 
practice of law for one year in Charlottesville, Va., and 
then moved to Missouri. He settled in Saline County, 
making first Miami and then Marshall, the county-seat, 
his home. Here, by his ability and by his "remarkably 
pure and upright life," he built up a large practice. On 
May 3, 1877, he was married to Miss Mary Young Hol- 
man, the oldest daughter of Rev. Dr. Russell Holman, 
who was the founder of the Colosseum Place Baptist 
Church, New Orleans, and for many years the secretary 
of the Domestic Mission Board of the Southern Baptist 

231 



232 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Convention. In October, 1884, Mr. Willis moved to 
Florida* being led to this step because his health had 
been seriously undermined by inflammatory rheumatism. 
Here he worked at his profession, and raised oranges, 
until the fall of 1895, when, responding to what he 
believed to be a call from God, he offered himself as a 
candidate for the gospel ministry, and was ordained, in 
January, 1896, at Green Cove Springs, Fla. Although 
he set out on the career of a preacher without regular 
theological training, he had had no mean preparation in 
this direction, since he had sat at the feet of Dr. Holman 
and Dr. Henry Talbird, both of them ministers of ability 
and learning. "In long talks and discussions with them 
he drank deep of theological truths, and from their 
libraries he garnered a store of knowledge." After two 
years, in which period he was pastor at Palatka, also 
supplying country churches, he returned to Virginia and 
became, in the summer of 1898, pastor of the Mount 
Madison Baptist Church, just across the river from 
Lynchburg, and in Amherst County. After five years of 
faithful service in this field he became State evangelist, 
under the State Mission Board, and gave himself unre- 
servedly to the hardships incident to a ministry in the 
waste places. This work proved too strenuous for him, 
his health broke down, and, in 1906, he resigned. In 
November, 1907, he began to preach again, taking charge 
of the Bridgewater and Mt. Crawford Churches, Rock- 
ingham County, Augusta Association. While on this 
field, on Sunday morning, May 22, 1909, after preaching 
from Galatians 5:1, a few moments after the close of 
the sermon he dropped dead on the street. He was 
buried in Buena Vista, Va., where he had lived for 
several years. As a lawyer he had never betrayed the 
confidence reposed in him by fellow-citizens who called 
him to represent them in positions of importance, and as 



JOHN MILTON WILLIS 235 

a minister "he was noted for a singularly consistent 
Christian life, a keen insight into spiritual things, and a 
determination to know nothing but Christ and Him cruci- 
fied." He is survived by his wife and three children, 
namely: Hon. Russell Holman Willis, Roanoke; Mrs. 
L. M. Walker, Danville, and Miss Gladys Churchill 
Willis. 



TIMOTHY FUNK 

1824-1909 

On Friday, January 29, 1907, a company of some five 
hundred people gathered at the Baptist Church, Singer's 
Glen, Rockingham County, Virginia, for an all-day 
service. Although Rev. G. C. Bundick and Rev. J. H. 
Brunk, and perhaps other preachers, were present, there 
were no sermons, for the business of the day was singing. 
After an opening prayer and a brief address the stream 
of song began to flow, nor was its flow broken, save for 
an hour given to an abundant dinner, until the evening 
shades fell. During the larger part of the day the book 
used was the old and historic "Harmonia Sacra" that had 
its birth at Singer's Glen. Among the tunes selected 
were these: "Greenfield," "Wesley," "Lingham," 
"Heavenly Vision," "Fatherland," "New Salem," "Eden 
of Love," "Thanksgiving," and "Glorious War." The 
most honored person in this gathering was the venerable 
Rev. Timothy Funk, in celebration of whose eighty-third 
birthday the meeting was held. The seat of honor was 
his, and once during the day he was the leader of the 
music, many of those who sang being his former pupils. 
Not only Baptists, but also Mennonites, United Brethren, 
Presbyterians, Methodists, and Lutherans were in the 
congregation. This function was a most appropriate 
one, since Mr. Funk, for more than half a century, was 
a teacher of music throughout the State. In many, many 
hamlets and rural neighborhoods, not only in the Valley, 
but in Piedmont and Eastern Virginia, his name was 
known. He "lisped in numbers, for the numbers came," 
his father being Joseph Funk, well called, by Dr. Johii 
W. Wayland, "The Father of Song in Northern Vir- 

234 



TIMOTHY FUNK 235 

ginia." In the little village of Singer's Glen, whose very 
atmosphere still seems to breathe of music, there is seen 
the small building where the old printing-press stood. 
Joseph Funk gave to the sweet, smiling valley its present 
name, and to the world the "Harmonia Sacra," which 
had a sale of 80,000 copies. He translated from German 
manuscripts "The Confession of Faith of the Mennon- 
ites" ; this work, with a preface giving the history of 
this denomination written by him, he published in 1837. 
He and his sons, doing business under the style of Joseph 
Funk's Sons, introduced what was known as the "patent" 
or "shaped-note" system, which was patented, and which 
came to be known among music publishers as "Funk's 
system." For many years the types were manufactured 
and sold by MacKellar, Smith & Jordan, of Philadelphia. 
Timothy Funk, the second son of Joseph Funk, and 
one of fourteen children, was born January 26, 1824. 
While it seems that he did not enjoy, as his brother, the 
advantages of a college course, nevertheless he was not 
an uneducated man. The training that he received from 
his parents was by no means to be despised. The work 
that he did for over half a century as a teacher of singing 
has been mentioned, but an interesting detail may well be 
added. It was his custom to close all of his singing 
schools with "There Is a Happy Land." So it was most 
fitting that this hymn was sung at his funeral. His 
work as a preacher was long, faithful, and effective. He 
was pastor of the Turleytown Church for many years, 
and a noble exponent of Baptist doctrines in all the lower 
end of Rockingham County, and doubtless in even a 
wider territory. His wife, who was Miss Susan Rheu- 
bush, preceded him by many years to the unseen world, 
having died May 26, 1895. His end came, after quite a 
season marked by the infirmities of age, June 11, 1909. 
His funeral and burial took place at Singer's Glen. 



236 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Singer's Glen, surrounded with its apple orchards and 
fertile meadows, the mountains in the distance and the 
hurrying trains far away, is rich in suggestions of peace 
and comfort. One family, with wide ramifications, has 
made the place famous, and here the descendants of the 
first settler, who was a grandson of Bishop Funk, who 
came to this country in 1719, dwell contentedly together. 
Another branch of the family lives in Illinois, where 
some years ago they owned, in one body, no less than 
25.000 acres of the best land in the State. 



W. R. WEBB 
1844-1909 

Thomas L. Webb and Sarah Chambliss Webb, his 
wife, of good Virginia stock, lived on their farm in Din- 
widdie County, Virginia. There, on August 14, 1844, 
their son, W. R. Webb, first saw the light. The boy 
grew up with little opportunity for an education, since 
his father kept him close at work on the farm, believing 
in the plow rather than books as the best preparation for 
4ife. So it came to pass that not until he was a man and 
married did he have the chance for an education that he 
craved. After the death, in 1871, of his first wife, who 
was, before her marriage, Miss Sarah E. Smith, of Din- 
widdie County, he felt called to preach the gospel, and 
attended, for several sessions ( 1872-74), Richmond Col- 
lege. During this period Rev. Vernon I'Anson "coached" 
this student, who was no longer a youth, and he testifies 
that it was a "privilege to aid one who was so eager to 
learn, so willing to be taught, and so faithful and devoted 
to his studies." During these years he spent much time 
praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in his 
preparation for the Master's work. In making his 
arrangements to go to college he was greatly aided by 
Deacon J. C. Duane, for whom he ever had a most grate- 
ful affection. The Cut Banks Church, where he had 
been baptized by the Rev. Hosea Crowder, ordained him 
to the gospel ministry. Before his college days he had 
served as a brave Confederate soldier all through the 
War. 

The churches to which he preached during the course 
of his ministry were Bethel, Grafton, Emmaus (York 

237 



238 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

County), Denbeigh, James City, and James River. Until 
the organization of the Peninsula Association his 
churches were all in the bounds of the Dover Associa- 
tion. Several of these churches he served for a long term 
of years. More than one meeting-house was built by 
him, and "the cause of the Lord prospered under his 
faithful ministry." It is scarcely necessary to remark 
that his salary was never large, but he was industrious, 
and withal a prudent man of business ; and so it came to 
pass that before his death he had secured an excellent 
home, a farm, on James River, near Lee Hall, and thus 
he left his family in fairly good circumstances. There 
was only one child by his first marriage ; this son, at the 
time of his father's death, was an earnest member of the 
Second Baptist Church of Newport News. Before her 
marriage his second wife was Miss Mary L. Williams, 
of Elizabeth City County. She and seven of her eight 
children survived her husband. The obituary, prepared 
for the Minutes of the General Association by Rev. 
Vernon I'Anson, is the basis of this sketch ; it closes with 
these words : "For forty years the writer knew and loved 
this consecrated Christian — this humble but faithful 
pastor — this excellent and successful preacher of the 
gospel of Jesus Christ. For some months before he died 
his health was poor, and finally, in the full hope of a 
glorious resurrection and a blessed immortality, he fell 
asleep in his own home, with prayers for his family and 
children, on the 15th of June, 1909." 



BENJAMIN FUNK 
1829-1909 

Among the sons of Joseph Funk was Benjamin Funk, 
who was born December 29, 1829, at Singer's Glen. The 
name of "Funk," so far, at least, as Virginia is con- 
cerned, is inseparably associated with the little village of 
Singer's Glen, Rockingham County. This spot was first 
known as Mountain Valley, until Joseph Funk gave it 
its present name. He was the grandson of Bishop 
Henry Funk, of the Mennonite Church, who came to 
America in 1719. In 1-847, at Singer's Glen, Joseph 
founded the first Mennonite printing-house in this 
country. Dr. John W. Wayland calls Joseph Funk "The 
Father of Song in Northern Virginia." His "Harmonia 
Sacra" had a sale of some 80,000 copies, passing through 
seventeen editions. He went far and wide over the 
State teaching singing. 

Benjamin Funk was educated at Richmond College, 
where he studied Latin, Greek, German, Mathematics, 
and English (1854-55). For a time, after his leaving col- 
lege, he taught school, and then became a minister of the 
gospel. After a few years' labor in Eastern Virginia he 
gave the rest of his active ministry, which lasted till about 
ten years before his death, to the region roundabout 
Singer's Glen. During his career as a teacher he labored 
in West Virginia and at Harrisonburg and other points in 
Rockingham County. He and his brother, Timothy, 
were kindred spirits in life, and in death they were not 
divided, less than a month separating their departures 
from earth. Near together, on the hillside that overlooks 
the valley where so much of their lives was spent, rest 



239 



240 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Mr. Funk was married twice, his first wife being Miss 
Louie Burkholder, of Rockingham County, and his 
second, Miss Mary E. Cowger, of Pendleton County, 
West Virginia. Mr. Boyd H. Funk, of Bedford City, 
is a son of the first marriage. Mr. Funk was the author 
of the "Life and Labors of Elder John Kline," a volume 
of 480 pages, published, in 1900, at Elgin, 111. John 
Kline was "a Dunker preacher of note, who lived at 
Broadway, Va., and who was shot to death near his home 
in 1864 — a martyr to good works." 

The story is told of Robert Hall, the famous preacher, 
that once after he had returned from the asylum, where 
he had been confined for some time, a man said to him : 
"Mr. Hall, what sent you to the asylum?" The great 
man's answer was : "Brains, sir, brains, what will never 
send you there." Not long before his death, after a 
general breakdown, Mr. Funk's mind was impaired, and 
he was taken to the asylum at Staunton. He was a man 
of such bright and vigorous intellect that Robert Hall's 
reply could be applied in his case. He passed away at 
Staunton, July 1, 1909, and the funeral took place at 
the Singer's Glen Baptist Church, July 3d. 



SAMUEL GRIFFIN MASON 
1831-1909 

Not only as pastor of various churches in Franklin and 
Henry Counties, but also in schoolhouses and out-of-the- 
way places was the voice of Samuel Griffin Mason heard 
as he proclaimed the glad tidings of the gospel. He was 
born in Franklin County, September 23, 1831, and began 
preaching about the year 1870, soon after which time he 
was ordained, upon the call of the Providence Church, 
of which body he was a member. His work as a 
preacher, stopped only by declining health, continued up 
to about two years before his death. During this period 
he served these churches : Stoney Creek, Trinity, Mill 
Creek, and Sandy Ridge, in Franklin County, and Mt. 
Vernon, in Henry. He was pastor of Trinity some 
twenty years. He served all through the Civil War, 
proving himself a faithful soldier. He was twice mar- 
ried, his first wife, to whom he was married in Decem- 
ber, 1855, being Miss Eliza Pedigo, of Henry County. 
She died October 26, 1896. He was married June 15, 
1904, to Miss Anna Barbour, of Snow Hill, Va. ; she 
survived him. He died December 18, 1909. He was 
the nephew of Rev. Samuel Griffin Mason, a sketch of 
whose life is found in "Lives of Virginia Baptist Minis- 
ters," Fourth Series. 



241 



JOHN RHODES QUARLES 
1849-1909 

The death of Mr. John Rhodes Ouarles, Sr., when the 
son who bore his name was still a youth, led to this 
youth's being sent to the home of his uncle, where he 
grew up. This uncle, Dr. Charles Quarles, after many 
years of successful practice as a physician, became a 
minister of the gospel. As a layman he was a leader in 
religious work, and through the zeal of him and others 
their church became one of the most efficient in the upper 
end of the Goshen Association. Since his father's home 
was broken up, the young man was fortunate to be able 
to live in his uncle's household. This home had a good 
library, and was not far from the Mechanicsville Baptist 
Church. Dr. Ouarles had the aptitudes of a scholar, and 
was withal a courteous, cordial, Christian gentleman. 
Young Quarles, who was born July 17, 1849, was first a 
student at the Gordonsville Academy and then at Rich- 
mond College (1870-71 ). His hope as to the gospel min- 
istry and as to his college career was marred by a trouble 
with his eyes ; so he turned to farming and teaching. On a 
portion of his father's estate he established himself, and, 
in 1873, was married to Miss Emma Wheeler, of Albe- 
marle County. Here he reared a family of five children. 
His work on the farm and in the schoolroom did not 
prevent great activity along religious lines. More and 
more pastors sought his help for supply and protracted- 
meeting work, and at last, when he was forty-five years 
of age, a call to the regular pastorate came to him. His 
shrinking from this high calling was overcome, and on 
December 30, 1894, his ordination took place at Mechan- 

242 



JOHN RHODES QUARLES 243 

icsville Church. The churches to which he ministered in 
the remaining fifteen years of his life were Lower Gold 
Mine and Waldrops, Louisa County, in the Goshen 
Association ; and Preddy's Creek, Free Union, and Slate 
Hill, Albemarle County, in the Albemarle Association. 
Two of these churches, Waldrops and Preddy's Creek, 
under his faithful preaching and leadership, broke away 
from the time-honored, but not ideal, custom of once-a- 
month preaching, and, each securing two Sundays a 
month, formed a field, with him as their pastor. His 
people were devoted to him, and whenever he preached 
his meeting-house was crowded. In 1884 he was clerk 
of the Goshen Association, and from 1903, for some 
seven years, he filled this office in the Albemarle Associa- 
tion. In his preaching he honored the Bible and made 
the sermon the instrument for the accomplishment of 
good. He was genial and hospitable in his nature, loving 
to have his friends around him in his home. In this 
home he was loved with a devotion little short of 
idolatry, while his love for his dear ones was like a 
strong, flowing stream. He passed away December 20, 
1909, and the funeral, attended by a great concourse of 
j>eople, took place at the Mechanicsville Church. The 
services were conducted by Rev. F. H. James, he being 
assisted bv Rev. Mr. Hudson and Rev. Dr. F. H. Martin. 



JOHN VV. McCOWN 

1833-1910 

In that decade of 1830 to 1840, so remarkable in 
American history for its material development, John W. 
McCown was born. In 1830 there were only twenty- 
three miles of railroad in the United States, and perhaps 
no one ever dreamed, in those days, that the steam 
engine with its train of cars would come, in less than 
fifty years, along the Kanawha River and through Put- 
nam County. It was in this county (now a part of West 
Virginia) that John W. McCown, one of six children, 
was born, February 24, 1833. His father, Joseph 
McCown, was widely known in that section, while his 
grandfather, Charles Franklin McCown, was a Lieuten- 
ant in the French and Indian Wars. His mother, Pamela 
Hughes, was a descendant, through her emigrant ances- 
tor, of a distinguished Welsh family. Mr. McCown 
entered Richmond College in 1853, and so began a course 
of studies in the classics, philosophy and theology, that 
was to continue through his life. During his college days 
he was one of a trio of students who came to be known 
as "The Triumvirate." This name is to be credited 
rather to college rivalries and animosities than to the 
callow wit of college fledglings. C. C. Chaplin, J. C. 
Long, and J. W. McCown formed this "Triumvirate." 
Years afterwards, when C. C. Chaplin passed away, 
Long wrote for the Religious Herald a tribute to him, 
entitled "A Sprig of Acacia," and, when Long died, 
McCown sent to the same paper an article about the 
second of the "Triumvirate" to depart, called "Another 
Sprig of Acacia." In 1857 Mr. McCown graduated at 

244 



JOHN \Y. McCOWN 245 

the college, the other graduates that year being Edward 
Epps, W. E. G. Garnett, A. T. Goodwin, John M. 
Gregory, Stephen E. Morgan, and Isaac T. Wallace. On 
July 5th, of the same year, Mr. McCown was ordained 
to the gospel ministry at Grace Street Baptist Church, 
Richmond, his college friend, Mr. Long, being ordained 
at the same time. Rev. Dr. R. B. C. Howell and Rev. 
Dr. J. B. Jeter took part in the service. The same year 
he was married to Miss Katharine Johnson. She was a 
daughter of Fullerton Johnson and of Mary Neal, a 
granddaughter of the distinguished Griffith Dickinson. 

Mr. McCown's first pastorate was at Clarksville, Va., 
and his second in Campbell County. Here he organized 
a company for service in the Confederate Army, and not 
long afterwards became a chaplain in Zollicoffer's 
Brigade, to which he was attached for the rest of his 
army life. In 1866 he moved to Gordonsville, Orange 
County, where he lived for twenty-five years, serving, 
during this period, with fidelity and success, many 
churches in that general section of country. It is inter- 
esting to know that in 1868, when he was a missionary 
of the State Mission Board, the Gordonsville Church, 
which now numbers 160 members, had 42, and Orange 
Court House Church, that now has 297, reported only 
33. That year Mr. McCown, copying the custom of the 
Richmond City churches, organized a Sunday School 
Association, made up of five neighboring Sunday schools, 
that met once a month. Twice he held pastorates out- 
side of Virginia, first at Leaksville, N. C. and then, 
some years later, at Richmond, Ky. For a season he was 
in charge of the church at Glade Spring, and at two 
periods of his life he resided at Bowling Green, Va., 
being pastor of the Calvary Church at that place. Dur- 
ing his pastorate at Bowling Green a young negro man, 
who was ignorant, being scarcely above a brute in intelli- 



246 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

gence, a most pitiable creature, abject from fear, was 
tried and hanged at the courthouse. Mr. McCown went 
daily to see the poor wretch, talking and praying with 
him, and brought him, it seemed, to a glimmering percep- 
tion of the grace of God. Then, when the man's fatal 
day came, he walked with him to the scaffold and held 
his hand to the last. During the days that he lived at 
Gordonsville and Bowling Green he served, for longer 
or shorter periods, the following churches : Upper Gold 
Mine, Pigeon Run, Liberty, Pleasant Grove, Louis* 
Court House, North Pamunkey, Upper Zion, Providence 
(Caroline County), Crooked Run, and Bethel. 

His alma mater conferred on him the degree of Doctor 
of Divinity, and, if culture and scholarship are the basis 
of such a degree, he was most worthy of the honor. He 
was a graceful prose writer, and in his early days he 
expressed his thoughts in verse. The beauty of his 
diction was remarkable. Quite recently an old woman 
gave this testimony: "He wrote me the most touchingly 
beautiful letter when my father died thirty years ago; I 
have it yet, and my brother, in another continent, keeps 
a copy of it." It seems very unfortunate that he did not 
exercise more freely his remarkable gifts in this direction. 
His sermons, which are extant, are "fine examples of 
literary craftsmanship." Not only in his sermons, but 
also in his prayers, "his artistic temperament found 
outlet." When he led a congregation in prayer he lifted 
them away from "sordid things and into the atmosphere 
of the infinite." His former congregations still speak 
of his prayers. One of his friends said, a year after his 
death: "If I could only have him pray with me I could 
bear, I believe, this heavy sorrow of mine." His keen 
intellect, his eager thirst for knowledge and service, led 
him to aspire to wide fields of usefulness, but his sensi- 
tive nature suffered from the jars of busy life and made 



JOHN W. McCOWN 1M 

him shrink from the struggle for place. "He deliberately 
chose the quiet field for his sowing and there remained 
to garner a rich harvest of love and appreciation." Not 
only in mind and heart, but also in person, he was 
attractive. "His figure was tall and well proportioned, 
and preserved its youthful slenderness through life. His 
regular features were modeled with almost feminine 
delicacy, the nose straight, the mouth sensitive and 
mobile, the eyes a beautiful blue-gray, the hair black, the 
broad, virile, thoughtful brow dominating the whole 
face." 

Some ten years before his death a growing weakness 
of the throat and the breaking down of a body never 
overstrong, made it necessary for him to give up the 
labor of the regular pastorate. From this time to the 
end he was with his own people in Virginia and Ken- 
tucky. He died in Richmond on January 5, 1910. On 
the fifth day of the following June a beautiful service 
to his memory was held at Gordonsville. Addresses 
were made by Rev. J. B. Cook and Rev. L. J. Haley, 
and words of appreciation were spoken by many in the 
congregation. The following day the grave in Maple- 
wood Cemetery was covered with tall white lilies and a 
blanket of red roses. The children who survived him 
were Mrs. Charles P. Winston, Mrs. Carter Helm Jones, 
Mrs. Louis H. Czapski, Mrs. John Hart, and Albert 
McCown. 



ROBERT BAILEY SANFORD 

1846-1910 

In the home of his father. Rev. John H. Sanford, a 
Methodist preacher, on February 28, 1846, Robert 
Bailey Sanford was born, being one of seven children. 
His birthplace was at "Federal Hill," a beautiful home 
overlooking Kinsale, in the historic county of Westmore- 
land. His mother was Susan Bailey Sanford, a pious 
woman. "The San fords and Baileys have been, since 
prior to the Revolution, staunch members and supporters 
of the Methodist Church." When the boy was eleven 
years old his mother passed away, her last words to him 
being: "Bailey, my son, be a good boy. God will take 
care of you." This dying message was never forgotten, 
and no doubt, under God, had a blessed influence on 
Bailey's life. At the age of thirteen, and again after the 
close of the War, he entered as a scholar the Kilmarnock 
Male Academy, Lancaster County, his teacher, at both 
periods, being Mr. William Chase. When the War broke 
out, this youth of fifteen wanted to enlist, but as he was 
feeble in body his father would not give his consent, and 
so it was not until he was eighteen that he went forth to 
the defense of his country, but it was, all his life, a regret 
to him that he had given only one year of service as a 
soldier. Upon leaving school he took up his chosen pro- 
fession of teaching. Late in the night, when he was 
twenty -two years old, he was converted, and so definite 
and clear was his experience of God's grace that never, 
to the end, did he doubt his salvation, and his exemplary 
Christian life gave others convincing proof of the 
genuineness of his turning to God. Upon his conversion 

248 



ROBERT BAILEY SANFORD 249 

he became a member of the Methodist Church, but after 
his marriage, which led to a thorough reading of the 
Scriptures, he united with the Baptists, being baptized by 
the Rev. A. B. Dunaway in the Corrotman River, 
Lancaster County. His marriage took place at Merry 
Point, Lancaster County, Virginia, on March 17, 1869, 
the bride being Miss Alverta S. Callahan, the accom- 
plished daughter of Thomas C. and Hannah G. Callahan. 
She had been educated at the Kilmarnock Seminary, 
which was presided over by the Rev. Addison Hall. She 
was a zealous Christian and a staunch Baptist, and a 
wife who was never weary of helping her husband bear 
the burdens of life. Upon his conversion Mr. Sanford 
felt called to preach. This conviction was so strong with 
him that although the door seemed closed at first for his 
entry into the ministry, nevertheless he found work, after 
teaching for some time, as a colporteur, first among the 
Baptist churches of the Northern Neck and then for the 
Sunday School and Bible Board of the General Associa- 
tion. More than once, at later periods in his life, he 
again engaged in this form of religious work. As a col- 
porteur, as in everything to which he put his hand, he was 
conscientious, aiming to do his best. In this sphere of 
service he began to exercise his gifts as a public speaker, 
and finally, on May 5, 1889, he was ordained to the 
gospel ministry, the presbytery being made up of these 
ministers : J. M. Pilcher, R. R. Acree, James Wright, 
Duncan McLeod. 

During the course of his ministry he served these 
churches in Virginia : Ettricks and Matoaca, near 
Petersburg ; Union, on Chincoteague Island ; and the 
Tabernacle Church, Newport News ; and these churches 
in Maryland : Vienna and Branch Hill. His salary was 
never large, and his health never the most vigorous, but 
he would take up his first love, colportage work, when he 



250 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

could not preach ; and so, with his own earnest struggles 
and those of his faithful wife, not only were the affairs 
of the household kept going, but the eight children were 
given a good education. When the years of his active 
service were ended he proved that he knew how to be a 
good listener to other preachers, and a faithful one in the 
ranks and in the pew as well as in the place of leadership. 
His piety was deep, and his life pure, and he loved to 
commend, in private no less than in public, his Saviour. 
On Wednesday, January 19, 1910, he was stricken with 
paralysis, and the following Tuesday, January 25, a 
few moments after three o'clock in the afternoon, he 
came peacefully to the end of a useful life. The funeral, 
which took place at the Second Baptist Church, Newport 
News, was one of the largest ever witnessed in that city. 
It was conducted by his pastor, Rev. J. T. Riddick, who 
was assisted by these Baptist ministers : Lloyd T. Wil- 
son, E. P. Jones, S. L. Naff, T. L. Seymore, W. C. Sale, 
M. F. Sanford, and Rev. E. T. Welford, of the Presby- 
terian Church, and Rev. T. J. Taylor, of the Methodist 
Church. The Magruder Camp of Confederate Veterans, 
of which camp he was chaplain, attended the funeral in 
a body. The burial took place in "Green Lawn," the 
Newport News cemetery. He was survived by his wife 
and these eight children : Dr. H. B. Sanford, Richmond ; 
Mrs. George Murray, Mrs. D. B. Simpson, Mrs. Harry 
Scholfield, J. C. Sanford, T. W. Sanford, Newport 
News; R. B. Sanford, Jr., U. S. N., and Mrs. W. Ward 
Hill, Amherst, Va. This sketch is based wholly on a 
tribute to Mr. Sanford written by Rev. J. T. Riddick and 
published in the Religious Herald. The facts given in 
this sketch, and in some cases the language, are taken 
from Mr. Riddick's article. 



ONAN ELLYSON 
1826-1910 

Rev. Onan Ellyson, younger by two years than his 
brother, Henry K. Ellyson, outlived his brother many 
years and reached the ripe old age of eighty-five. He 
was born in May, 1826, and he passed from the scenes 
of earth February 21, 1910. His body was laid to rest 
at Washington, D. C. His birthplace was Richmond, 
and Lynchburg the place of his death. In his early years, 
being left an orphan, he worked first with his brother in 
Richmond and then on bis own account in Petersburg as 
a printer and publisher. At the beginning of the War 
he moved to Charlotte County, and soon afterwards gave 
up a lucrative business to engage in evangelistic work. 
In 1847 he was married to Miss Mary Steel, of Rich- 
mond. For many years he was a member of the Second 
Baptist Church, Richmond, until he moved to Peters- 
burg, when he united with the First Church of that city. 
With others he went out from the First Church to organ- 
ize the Byrne Street (now the Second) Church of 
Petersburg. Of this body he was an active member, 
being a deacon and superintendent of the Sunday school. 
About 1865 he was ordained to the gospel ministry, and 
presently became a missionary of the State Mission 
Board. One year during his service for the State Mis- 
sion Board, while laboring in the Appomattox Associa- 
tion, he made this report as to his work: "I am encour- 
aged in my work. I expect to baptize a number more in 
May, amongst them one Presbyterian, one Methodist, 
and one Episcopalian. I preach for an anti-mission 
church, by their request, whenever I visit Campbell 
County." For this year he had baptized twenty-three 

251 



252 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

persons and arranged to organize two new churches, one 
in Charlotte and one in Campbell. It was at this time 
that he organized the first Men's Missionary Society of 
Lynchburg. During his years in the Appomattox Asso- 
ciation, besides the work he did on fields where there 
were no church organizations, he was pastor of these 
churches : Flat Creek, Burkeville, Kedron. and Midway. 
After this, his life work continued, in what was then the 
Potomac Association, as pastor of the Berry ville Church. 
Here he remained some five or six years. His next field 
was out of Virginia, namely, at Anacostia, Washington 
City, where he did extension work. Upon his return to 
Virginia he became pastor in the Rappahannock Associa- 
tion, being pastor first of Bethlehem and Enon Churches 
and later of Oakland. 

His last years were spent with his daughters in King 
George County and in Lynchburg. In Lynchburg he 
attended the Cabell Street (now Rivermont Avenue Bap- 
tist) Church, making himself most helpful to the pastor. 
He visited a great deal among the members, urging them 
to fall into line with all the plans of the pastor and the 
church. He was much interested in the erection of the 
new meeting-house, and attended the public services of 
God's house whenever his strength made this possible. 
"He was always optimistic; the past was good, but the 
present is better, and the future is going to be still 
better." He loved children, and was in the habit, in these 
last years, of saving his street-car fare that he might 
invest in candy and peanuts for his little friends. Rev. 
Oscar E. Sams declares that in Mr. Ellyson he had, from 
the very first of his pastorate in Lynchburg, a most 
loving, sympathetic, and helpful fellow-worker. 

Mr. Ellyson's children are Mrs. A. B. Harvey, Geo. S. 
Ellyson, Mrs. S. B. Redding, Mrs. J. N. Owens, Miss 
Mollie E. Ellvson, Dr. R. M. Ellvson. 



JAMES BOARDMAN HAWTHORNE* 

1837-1910 

The Hawthornes of New England were rank Puritans. 
In the conviction of one hundred and fifty witches at 
Salem, Mass., the judge and the prosecuting attorney 
were both of this family. People of this name have been 
found in Vermont, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, 
and Florida, and it is at least possible that all these 
branches came from the New England stock. From 
Lunenburg County, Virginia, certain Hawthornes moved 
to North Carolina. From here one family, at least, emi- 
grated to Alabama. It was an arduous trip, ' in those 
days, from North Carolina to Alabama, through virgin 
forests over an unbroken track. On this journey Kedar 
Hawthorne was a youth. When at last their destination 
was reached he enlisted for the Seminole War, which 
was then being waged in Florida. His courage and vigor 
were great. Once he was sent on foot with a sack of 
corn to the nearest mill, twenty miles away. Before his 
return Murder Creek was swollen to dangerous propor- 
tions by a sudden rain. Heavy logs ever and anon floated 
by, and night was closing in. To stay on the bank all 
night meant exposure to wild beasts or the Indians. To 
swim the stream with the meal was no easy work. The 
latter alternative, however, was successfully accom- 
plished. In 1825 Kedar Hawthorne was married to Miss 
Martha Baggett, and later husband and wife were con- 
verted under the preaching of Rev. Alexander Trevis, a 
pioneer Baptist preacher. On May 16, 1837, at Mt. 

*This sketch, in the main, is based on an unpublished biography 
of Dr. Hawthorne by Rev. B. F. Riley, D. D.. LL. D. Dr. Riley 
kindly permits this use of his biography. 

253 



254 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Moriah, Wilcox County, Alabama, where his father had 
organized, and was pastor of, the Baptist Church, James 
Boardman Hawthorne was born. His birthplace was a 
log hut, and his middle name was for George Boardman, 
the missionary to the Karens, whose life Kedar Haw- 
thorne had just read with burning enthusiasm. Young 
Hawthorne's first school was near Camden, his teacher 
being named Love. Here the boy enjoyed keenly both 
the coon hunts by night and the all-day singing classes 
common at that time, when the oblong Carmina Sacra 
was used. At twelve years of age he went to an academy 
at Oak Hill, Wilcox County, the teacher being one 
Samuel Jones. Here, in a declamation contest, the timid 
boy, a contestant against his choice, won the prize, a 
copy of Cowper's poems. No wonder that in that day, 
when books were few, he should have poured over the 
new volume and learned by heart "J onn Gilpin," which 
charmed him greatly. The next year, at the Camden 
Institute, whose principal was Lucius Brutus Johnson, a 
second victory in the art of public speaking brought 
young Hawthorne a gold medal, and gave clearer evi- 
dence of the future man. This time his rivals were able. 
On the way to the contest he heard some one declare, in 
a discussion as to the chances of the several candidates, 
that he was sure to win if he only managed his long legs 
right. He was wise enough to make good use of this ad- 
vice so unconsciously given. Since in those days the law 
was in very high repute, no wonder that the young man 
decided to give his life to this profession. In 1851, at his 
father's church, under the preaching of Rev. C. F. Sturgis, 
he was converted and became a member of the church. 
Finally he entered Howard College. Here he gloried in 
the library, and soon became the orator of the school. At 
this time Noah K. Davis had charge of the English De- 
partment of Howard. His standard was so high, being 



JAMES BOARDMAN HAWTHORNE 255 

nothing short of Addison, that his students worked in 
vain to win his praise. At last, in desperation, a passage 
was copied from "The Spectator" and handed in as an 
original composition. The paper came back severely 
criticized with such comments as "pompous," "turgid," 
"ridiculous." Years afterwards Dr. Davis, being Pro- 
fessor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Vir- 
ginia, upon hearing this incident for the first time, 
exclaimed : "Well, I always had a lingering suspicion 
that I was a fool, and this confirms it." During Mr. 
Hawthorne's career at Howard the college was destroyed 
by fire, the colored janitor, Harry, dying the death of 
a hero, having rushed through the flames to give the 
alarm. After three years at Howard, Mr. Hawthorne 
decided to give up his fourth year and his degree and go 
out at once into active life. He commenced reading law 
with the firm of Chandler, Smith & Herndon, in Mobile. 
Along with his law studies went much public speaking. 
Before long he was the pet of the people, being regarded 
as a boy orator. In the campaign of 1856 he supported 
Buchanan against Fillmore. On one occasion his mimicry 
of his opponent, who had but one eye, caught the crowd. 
When he realized that he had been guilty of discourtesy 
and bad taste in taking advantage of the physical 
infirmity of his adversary, his prompt and frank apology 
made him yet more popular. During his career as a 
young political speaker several events occurred which 
combined to change the current of his life. On one occa- 
sion, out in the rural districts, after he had spoken, the 
other side called loudly for "Billie Jones." Mr. Jones, 
who was a preacher and a speaker of unusual ability, 
responded to the call and gave his youthful rival such an 
unmerciful "drubbing" that reply was impossible. At 
another time and place the young lawyer had an old man 
in his crowd who greatly helped him by his rapt atten- 



256 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

tion. After his speech was over he sought out the 
venerable citizen, but upon thanking him for his helpful 
attention, he received this reply : "Oh, 'twarn't that — 
'twarn't that. I waz jest a-thinkin' that er young feller 
like you might do somethin' fer hisself in this world if 
he'd jest quit that tarnal foolishness uv a-goin' over the 
country a-makin' uv speeches. What in the name of 
common sense is yer a-throwin' away yer time fer when 
ye can be a-doin' of somethin' shore 'nuff?" About the 
same time Mr. David Cook, a wealthy planter and a 
friend of Mr. Hawthorne's father, along with Col. 
Richard Hawthorne, his cousin, urged the young man to 
become a minister of the gospel. Col. Hawthorne did 
more than argue the matter. He made an appointment 
for the young lawyer to preach, and, without waiting for 
the young man's consent, put out messengers whose 
announcement collected a large crowd. Eventually, as a 
result, surely in a measure, of these various experiences. 
Mr. Hawthorne decided to give up the law and become a 
preacher. 

His decision to preach and his marriage came near the 
same time. On August 27, 1857, he and Miss Emma 
Hutchinson, who was only sixteen years old, were united 
in marriage, and the next month he began his theological 
studies at Howard College. Marion, Ala. During this 
course at Howard the President, Dr. Henry Talbird, 
often took young Hawthorne out into the country and 
put him up to preach, believing that the only way to learn 
how to preach is to preach. While at Howard the young- 
couple had their first great sorrow in the death of their 
firstborn, Yancey Boardman. During his first vacation, 
being in Mobile, Mr. Hawthorne was called on to preach. 
His text was: "Prisoners of hope." It is known that 
two persons were converted under this sermon. One was 
Mrs. Hawthorne. Some months afterwards a sea 



JAMES BOARDMAX HAWTHORNE 257 

captain, who was baptized by Rev. Dr. Powhatan E. 
Collins, one of the Mobile pastors, testified that seemingly 
by accident he had heard the sermon about the "prisoners 
of hope" and had been converted. With another early 
sermon of Mr. Hawthorne an amusing incident is con- 
nected. Since it was his habit to write very carefully 
what he expected to say, and then commit to memory, 
his stock of sermons was marked by quality rather than 
by quantity. At the end of the session he arranged for 
a series of preaching appointments, hoping thus both to 
do good and to replete his pocket-book. At the first 
appointment his sermon on "Rejoice evermore'' so 

charmed a Mrs. C that she decided to hear him at 

Fatama, and again she heard the sermon on the words : 
"Rejoice evermore." At Concord, for the third time, 
and at Pineville, for the fourth, she heard the same 
sermon. During his last session at Howard he and his 
fellow-student, J. Alexander Chambliss, planned a 
preaching tour through southern Alabama. Between 
them they had fifteen sermons, Hawthorne eight and 
Chambliss seven. When these fifteen sermons had been 
preached at one point the young preachers moved on to 
the next place. No amount of persuasion, no high degree 
of interest could induce the young theologians to con- 
tinue their meeting when once the fifteen sermons had 
been preached. Doubtless the people at each place won- 
dered and never knew why the services could not pos- 
sibly be continued. Not long after this, in a meeting, 
Mr. Hawthorne was forced to go on beyond the eight 
sermons by reason of the sudden illness of the pastor he 
was helping, and the impossibility of getting any other 
preacher. Against his serious protest the meeting was 
thrust upon him. He threw himself on God, the meeting 
went on, and before its close some eighty persons had 
made profession of their faith in Christ. He was 



258 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ordained to the ministry at Friendship Church, Pine 
Apple, Wilcox County, Alabama, September 22, 1859. 

During the first year of his ministry, while living at 
Pine Apple and preaching to Fellowship, Friendship, and 
Snow Hill Churches, he had much time for study and 
reading. And in his leisure moments he undertook to 
learn to play on the violin, but his wife's verdict that he 
had no gift for music led him to give up this pursuit. 
After one year he became pastor of the Broad Street 
Church of Mobile. Here, besides being most popular as 
a preacher, he carried on, in the columns of the South- 
western Baptist, of which paper Dr. Samuel Henderson 
was editor, a discussion with Rev. J. J. D. Renfroe on 
the principles of Landmarkism, Mr. Hawthorne opposing 
these views. When the Civil War came on he became 
the chaplain of the 21st Alabama Regiment of Volun- 
teers, his church continuing to pay his salary. About this 
time a book appeared entitled "Armageddon." It de- 
clared that the world would be destroyed about 1863. 
Mr. Hawthorne adopted the author's view and preached 
more than once a sermon setting forth this startling 
announcement. An old carpenter by the name of Hutto, 
hearing that the sermon was to be preached at Rock 
West, got on his horse and rode twenty-five miles across 
the country to that point. Upon his arrival he announced 
that he wanted to see Board Hawthorne. He was 
informed that the preacher had already gone into the pul- 
pit, and that he could see him after the service. That 
would not do. He must see him at once. But why such 
urgency? He wanted to get the preacher to put off the 
end of the world for a while until the South could whip 
the terrible Yankees. 

The years of the Civil War sorely tried the Southern 
people, and the Reconstruction Period was worse. In 
the fall of 1865 Mr. Hawthorne became pastor at Green- 



JAMES BOARDMAN HAWTHORNE 259 

ville, Ala. After a year here, during which time great 
crowds attended his ministry and the church house was 
renovated, he accepted a call to Selma, one of the best 
pastorates in the State. The problem presented by the 
awful coalition of the negroes and their unscrupulous 
white leaders was one that no loyal citizen could disre- 
gard. One day Mr. Hawthorne heard that a certain 
Dr. Henry, a "scalawag," was leading a throng of 
negroes, proposing to occupy and use the First Baptist 
Church. Mr. Hawthorne informed them that they could 
not carry out their plan. The town was threatened with 
a mob. Inflammatory speeches were made. Various citi- 
zens spoke, but Mr. Hawthorne's words did more than 
all else to save the day. The troubled state of affairs led 
Mr. Hawthorne, Rev. W. Joseph Lowry, the Presby- 
terian pastor, and Rev. C. N. Campbell, the Methodist 
pastor, to begin a series of union services. A daily 
prayer-meeting was held at eleven o'clock in the Metho- 
dist Church, its location being the most central. The 
meeting grew so in power that instead of one service 
each day three were held, at the hours of nine, eleven, 
and five. Throngs attended. For five weeks the special 
services continued. So far as the Baptist Church was 
concerned, the revival spirit prevailed for two years. 
Quietly, in "an atmosphere vibrant with prayer and 
praise," the good work went on, each Sunday witnessing 
an ingathering of souls. 

Mr. Hawthorne's first appearance before the Southern 
Baptist Convention resulted in his being called to the 
Franklin Square Baptist Church of Baltimore. In 1867 
the Convention met in that city. Upon the advice of his 
friend, J. L. M. Curry, Mr. Hawthorne decided to attend 
the meeting. The weather turned suddenly quite cool, 
and Mr. Hawthorne had to purchase heavier clothes. He 
was so tall that he was not able to obtain a ready-made 



260 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

suit that really fit him. Through the influence of 
J. L. M. Curry, Mr. Hawthorne was put up Sunday 
afternoon at a great mass-meeting to speak on what was 
then designated Domestic Missions. His appearance, in 
his short trousers and his ill-fitting coat, was not pre-' 
possessing. During the War he had pressed the claims 
of this Board most successfully, and this, doubtless, was 
an element in the success of his address in Baltimore. 
His appeal was a masterly oratorical effort, and gave 
him high rank as a speaker among Southern Baptists. 
The following fall he began his Baltimore pastorate. 
The condition of the church was not the best, but with 
holy boldness the new pastor began a meeting with a sun- 
rise prayer-meeting every morning and a service each 
night. The work went on for six weeks, the pastor doing 
all the preaching. The church was refreshed and its 
membership greatly increased. At the last service, 
during the singing of the last hymn, a wealthy wholesale 
merchant, who afterwards became a tower of strength 
and influence for God, made public profession of his faith 
in Christ. 

From Baltimore Mr. Hawthorne went to Albany, 
N. Y. He remained here less than a year. Some trouble 
with his throat led him to go to Albany, but its too severe 
winter climate made it necessary for him to leave. His 
next pastorate was in Louisville. Here he led the colony 
of ninety-six members who went out from the Walnut 
Street Church to organize the Broadway Church. Dur- 
ing his four years here the membership grew to over four 
hundred, and at a cost of $108,000 a beautiful meeting- 
house was built. The Tabernacle Church, New York 
City, was his next charge. His preaching here was 
marked in an unusual degree by his direct appeals to the 
heart rather than the head, and great crowds attended 
upon his ministry. xA.s pastor, no less than in the pulpit. 



JAMES BOARDMAN HAWTHORNE 261 

he gave himself to unremitting labors. His incessant 
labors brought upon him a serious illness. For six 
months he was in a most critical condition. His life was 
despaired of. His brother pastor, Dr. R. S. Mac Arthur, 
who visited him often, one day bade him farewell, never 
expecting to greet him again in the flesh. The night 
that the crisis was successfully passed five hundred 
people were praying together for his recovery. His 
people ordered him away for a six months' rest, putting 
into his hands a purse of $1,400. Afton, Va., that 
beautiful spot on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge 
overlooking the fair fields of Nelson, whither Mr. Haw- 
thorne now turned, came to be the place to which he went 
again and again in after years for seasons of rest and 
vacation. The Goodloes were famous hosts, and the 
chance for deer along the mountain side afforded a sport 
in which he gloried. 

His experiences in Albany and New York convinced 
Mr. Hawthorne that a northern climate did not suit him, 
and he decided never to accept another charge in the 
North. Simultaneously calls came to him from the 
Second Baptist Church, Richmond, and the First Baptist 
Church, Montgomery. He accepted the call to Mont- 
gomery. For years the galleries in the meeting-house 
had been of no use. This was the case no longer. 
Crowds attended. A great meeting was held, some two 
hundred and fifty being added to the church. The pulpit 
of the First Baptist Church became a mighty power in 
the city against evil. Mr. Hawthorne was fearless in his 
attacks on the saloon, gambling, and other forms of sin. 
He was now in the very zenith of his power. People 
came from distant parts of the State to hear him. His 
broadsides against sin were tremendous. He was sub- 
jected to adverse criticism, but this did not make him 
change his methods. The reach of his power was great; 



262 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

he was easily the first citizen of the State. In 1879, after 
four years in Montgomery, he accepted a call to the 
First Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. Dr. J. L. M. 
Curry, a member of the church in Richmond, had no 
small influence in having his church call Mr. Hawthorne. 
From the very first the great auditorium of the First 
Church was scarcely equal to the crowds that gathered to 
hear him. Chairs had to be used. He gathered around 
him here a body of young men who proved one of the 
church's best assets. He was always a lover and admirer 
of young men. He was almost a hero-worshiper of 
young men of promise in the ministry. During his 
Richmond pastorate he had to help him in a meeting 
Rev. A. C. Dixon, a young man just coming into notice. 
Some doubted the wisdom of having this unknown young- 
man for so important a work. Mr. Hawthorne carried 
his point, and the result proved that he was right; the 
meeting was a great and blessed one. One of the con- 
verts was a Dutchman, who was so big in body that his 
baptism was, to say the least, not a success, although Mr. 
Hawthorne was famous for his grace and dexterity on 
such occasions. While in Richmond he was most active 
in promoting the interests of Richmond College and the 
Woman's College. So great was his influence for good 
in Richmond that when he received, in 1884, a call to 
the First Church in Atlanta, Dr. Curry said if he 
accepted he would feel inclined to call him an insane man. 
But the call to Atlanta was accepted. 

Dr. Hawthorne was pastor in Atlanta thirteen years. 
Memorable in this pastorate was the temperance agita- 
tion, in which Dr. Hawthorne bore a most conspicuous 
part. First the State was carried for temperance, and 
then came the campaign for Atlanta and its county. 
Fulton. Sam Jones, Henry Grady, and J. B. Hawthorne 
were the three great figures on the side of temperance in 



JAMES BOARDMAN HAWTHORNE 263 

this contest. The struggle was fearful. The liquor 
interests brought into battle their greatest power. At last 
the day of election came. After hours at the polls Dr. 
Hawthorne went to his home worn out. Some hours 
later the family heard the approach of the crowd. The 
result was unknown, and Mrs. Hawthorne feared that 
the whiskey people, victorious, were coming to do 
violence to their archenemy. Not so. The crowd surged 
into the yard, shouting to their leader: "It is all right, 
Doctor, we've got 'em." During the campaign Judge 
Lockrane was so convinced of the sin of using ardent 
spirits as a beverage that he decided to empty all the 
choice wines and liquors of his cellar into the gutter. He 
called on Dr. Hawthorne to be present at this function ; 
nor would he allow an old colored mammy to catch a 
little of the old liquor to keep for cases of sickness. 
While in Atlanta, Dr. Hawthorne would have led his 
people in the erection of a larger and more commodious 
house of worship, but what seems, to a looker-on, to be 
the merely sentimental associations of an old member, 
stood in the way of this forward movement. While in 
Atlanta, Dr. Hawthorne had been the orator at the semi- 
centennial of Howard College. Upon this occasion there 
was conferred upon him the degree of M. A. (It will 
be remembered that in his student days he had left col- 
lege before receiving his degree.) Always a friend of 
education, while in Atlanta Dr. Hawthorne led in the 
movement that resulted in the establishment, in the 
suburbs of the city, of a great school for women. When 
the Southern Baptist Convention met in Birmingham, 
Ala., in 1891, an invitation for the next year came from 
Baltimore. The Baltimore brethren, believing that the 
time had arrived to do away with the "free-entertain- 
ment" plan, had the courage to recommend what prom- 
ised to be an unpopular plan, though wise. The com- 



264 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

mittee to which the matter was referred having no option 
in the matter, since there was no other invitation, reported 
in favor of going to Baltimore. At once Dr. Hawthorne 
was on his feet asking the Convention to come to Atlanta, 
"And," said he, "we do not ask you to bring your grub 
with you." The Convention went to Atlanta. 

A call to the First Church, Nashville, came, and he 
accepted it. His departure from Atlanta was an ovation. 
Crowds of his friends thronged to the station to say fare- 
well, many bearing tokens of their admiration and love. 
His journey to Nashville was made in the private car of 
Maj. John YV. Thomas, of Nashville. As had been the 
case elsewhere, so it was in Nashville — his pulpit was his 
throne. From it went forth powerful denunciation of 
sin. Here he took up arms against the American Pro- 
tective Association, which he thought threatened to 
violate the great doctrine of religious liberty. It need 
not be said that temperance still found in him a mighty 
friend. While in Nashville he began to be a great 
sufferer from sciatica. This affliction, while it inter- 
rupted his ministry, may have made his preaching gain 
in tenderness. In April, 1906. he resigned to accept a 
less strenuous work as pastor of the Grove Avenue 
Church, Richmond, Va. 

Grove Avenue was Dr. Hawthorne's last charge. 
Conditions at this church were not ideal. The congrega- 
tion was not large, and other difficulties presented them- 
selves. Yet Dr. Hawthorne met the situation with the 
courage of a young man. Suddenly an unexpected 
emergency arose. The meeting-house was destroyed by 
fire. The people, led by their dauntless pastor, soon 
erected a structure more beautiful and capacious than the 
first house had been. Increasing ill health induced Dr. 
Hawthorne to offer his resignation. The Southern Bap- 
tist Convention, at its meeting in Chattanooga, upon 



JAMES BOARDMAN HAWTHORNE 265 

motion of Rev. Dr. G. W. Truett, passed a resolution 
requesting Dr. Hawthorne to deliver, the next year, an 
address "upon such subject as he may deem best." The 
following year, at the meeting of the Convention in Rich- 
mond, Dr. Hawthorne delivered the address that had 
been asked of him, his subject being: "Some things on 
which it behooves Baptists of this generation to put 
supreme emphasis." By order of the Convention it was 
printed in tract form. It so happened that during this 
session of the Convention Dr. Hawthorne's seventieth 
birthday came around. On this day a pleasant surprise 
was sprung upon him at the breakfast table at Ford's 
Hotel, which was at the time his home. Friends who 
were staying at this hotel gave him a gold-headed cane 
properly inscribed, the presentation speech by Dr. H. W. 
Battle being followed by a poem composed and read by 
Dr. D. W. Gwin. After closing his work as a pastor 
Dr. Hawthorne made several lecture tours through the 
South, receiving at place after place what might be called 
ovations at the hands of his friends and admirers. 
Finally, however, after a sermon at Charlotte, N. C, on 
October 17, 1909. when, in a high degree, his "pristine 
power seemed to return," his strength failed so rapidly 
that, after one or two appointments, other engagements 
had to be cancelled. The winter of 1909-10 was severe, 
and for several months he scarcely left the house. In 
the early days of February, with milder weather, he was 
again seen on the street. On the 14th, however, he 
suffered a slight stroke of paralysis, and on February 
24th the end came. In Richmond, where he had been 
twice pastor, he fell on sleep. After appropriate services, 
very simple, according to his request, he was laid to rest 
in beautiful Hollywood near the graves of his friend, 
J. L. M. Curry, and Jefferson Davis. 



266 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Dr. Hawthorne will be remembered as one of the most 
distinguished orators and preachers Southern Baptists 
have ever had. His unusually noble presence was no 
unimportant factor in his power before an audience. As 
straight as an Indian, and considerably over six feet 
tall, he attracted attention in any crowd. His face was 
placid yet strong, and his head, covered with long, 
abundant hair, had the pose of a king. Dr. Hawthorne, 
from the very beginning of his career as a public speaker, 
always carefully prepared his speeches and sermons, 
which were committed to memory word for word. Then 
he adopted the plan of reading his sermons. This he did 
with such consummate skill that many who heard him did 
not know that he had his manuscript before him. He 
was so familiar with his discourse that his eye was not 
bound to the manuscript, but was free to direct itself to 
the hearers. When he turned over a page he looked 
away from the sermon, and so many never saw the leaves 
as they were turned. Dr. Hawthorne seemed to honor 
and magnify every word he spoke, giving full time for 
its enunciation and, as it were, for its reception. Such 
deliberation in some men would have been wearisome. 
Not so with him. His enunciation and articulation were 
so perfect that, apart from the meaning of the words, it 
was pleasant to hear them as they followed each other. 
Phillips Brooks was famous for the rapidity with which 
he spoke. Dr. Hawthorne was at the other extreme. 
Upon being asked once if he did not find the work of 
writing out his sermons very heavy, he answered that his 
sermons, when written out, were not as long as one 
would suppose, for his deliberation in delivery made 
each word go, as it were, a long way. Dr. Hawthorne's 
delivery dignified his message. While his sermons were 
not lacking in thought, had they been delivered by one 
less gifted in elocution they would certainly have lost 



JAMES BOARDMAN HAWTHORNE 267 

much of their power. All his life he was a student of 
words, and was scrupulous in the use of words and in 
the construction of his periods. In the pulpit Dr. Haw- 
thorne was so the impersonation of dignity, so kingly in 
his bearing, that to many, who did not know him at 
nearer range, he seemed haughty, austere, even unduly 
proud. But this was not the case. Just the reverse of 
this was true. He was as approachable, as guileless as a 
child. He was companionable and genial in the social 
circle, and was especially cordial to his younger brethren 
in the ministry. Dr. Hawthorne was most careful in his 
preparation for the pulpit and other public addresses, and 
his attention to his dress added no little to his power. 
Much more might be said about one who was an orator 
of high order and a noble herald of the glad tidings of 
salvation. 



THOMAS D. SCOTT 
1828-1910 

Meadows of Dan, Patrick County, Virginia, was the 
center of the arena in which Thomas D. Scott played his 
part in life. Near this place he was born, in 1828. In 
1855 Rev. D. G. Taylor, laboring as a missionary of the 
State Mission Board, organized the Meadows of Dan 
Baptist Church, into which body Mr. Scott, upon a pro- 
fession of his faith and after his baptism, was received. 
In 1861 he was licensed to preach, and later set apart, 
by his mother church — Elders Wm. Hankins and W. H. 
Beamer constituting the presbytery — to the full work of 
the gospel ministry. Although never pastor of any 
church, he was assistant pastor for the Meadows of Dan 
and Sycamore Churches. He supplied other vacant pul- 
pits ; indeed, this seemed to be his chief calling. Thus 
he rendered efficient and acceptable service. Though not 
a preacher of great talent or of broad culture, he served 
well his generation, and on March 1, 1910, in his eighty- 
second year, fell on sleep. The facts for this sketch were 
furnished by the Rev. J. Lee Taylor. 



268 



JAMES ALEXANDER MUNDY 

183^1910 

This faithful, devoted, consecrated minister of God 
passed away on the evening of May the 19th, 1910, at 
the home of Mrs. John C. Mundy, in Amherst County, 
Virginia. He had, on March the 5th, completed his 
seventy- fourth year. In that county and at that home, 
near Allen's Creek, where he passed away, he was born 
and reared. His father, Captain Alexander Mundy, was 
a successful farmer and a prominent resident of his 
community. He was no less prominent as a Christian 
man and deacon in the Mineral Spring Baptist Church. 

James was reared in a most interesting and pious 
family. We are not surprised, then, that in early life 
he became a Christian and earnestly sought to adorn the 
doctrine of his profession and faithfully serve Him 
whose he was. He joined the St. Stephen's Baptist 
Church and was baptized by Rev. T. W. Roberts, a mis- 
sionary under the State Mission Board. 

His early educational advantages were good, and he 
made the best of them. Having finished at the Academic 
School, he entered Richmond College, and, in June, 1859, 
being twenty-three years of age, received his degree. 
During that summer he was ordained, to the full work of 
the gospel ministry, at Mineral Spring Church. The 
presbytery was composed of Rev. T. N. Johnson, Rev. 
James M. Dillard, and Rev. P. S. Henson, the latter 
preaching his ordination sermon. He soon entered upon 
the work of a pastor, and was very successful in building 
up the churches to which he ministered. For ten years 
he was pastor of country churches in Nelson, Amherst, 

269 



270 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

and Appomattox Counties. For two and a half years he 
was the Principal of Fluvanna Female Institute. During 
his administration he showed decided ability in the 
management of a large school and also his qualifications 
as a teacher. The school prospered under his administra- 
tion. 

In 1872 he took charge of the church in Blacksburg 
and at Christiansburg Depot, in Montgomery County. 
Not being physically strong, he could not stand the 
severity of that climate, and after two years of successful 
work he resigned and accepted the call to Enon Church, 
near Hollins Institute. While pastor there he preached 
at Big Lick, now Roanoke, and organized there the First 
Baptist Church. After a delightful pastorate at Enon of 
three years, by the advice of a physician, who saw that 
the climate was too severe for him, he resigned, to the 
regret of the entire church. He then accepted a call to 
Warrenton, N. C. In this warmer climate his health 
improved. In his pastorate there he was successful, and 
he served the church for seven years. While pastor there 
Wake Forest College conferred on him the degree of 
Doctor of Divinity. Resigning there, he accepted the 
call to Greenville, S. C. There he had a wider field of 
usefulness opened to him. Opportunities for good 
among the students of Furman University and the 
Woman's College, as well as the outlook for good in the 
city, were not to be disregarded. For ten years the best 
service of his ministerial life was given to that noble 
church and cultured congregation. Dr. Charles Manly, 
who was the President of the Furman University, says 
of his pastorate: "How wisely and affectionately Dr. 
Mundy labored may be inferred from the esteem in 
which he was universally held, and from the fact that the 
church so prospered as to send out, during his pastorate, 
two colonies, which almost immediately became vigorous 



JAMES ALEXANDER MUNDY 271 

churches, and are now among the most important in the 
State." His labors having greatly increased during these 
ten years of service, since he was not strong physically he 
resigned and accepted a call to Wilson, N. C. He 
remained there two years, and during that time built a 
neat, comfortable house for the accommodation of the 
growing church and increasing Sunday school. From 
there he went to Reidsville, N. C, where he remained 
four years, and during that time had good success in 
building up the church. He then accepted a call to Cabell 
Street Church, Lynchburg, Va. The church was much 
split up, and he, by his prudence and forbearance, suc- 
ceeded in uniting and leading it to great efficiency. His 
health failing him, he retired from the pastorate and 
went to the old home, near Allen's Creek, where he spent 
the last years of his life in the interesting family of his 
widowed sister-in-law, Mrs. John C. Mundy. He loved 
his work, and loved to tell the story of Jesus and His 
love. Though he had retired from the active pastorate, 
yet he preached for the churches at Gladstone and 
Mineral Spring when his health would permit. He left 
his impress for good upon all the churches of which he 
was pastor and upon the various communities in which 
he lived. 

Dr. Mundy was richly endowed with a fine intellect, 
which he studiously cultivated. He had an analytical 
mind, and became one of our most logical and practical 
preachers. His sermons were made very forcible by apt 
illustrations from Scripture, nature, and the observations 
of the everyday duties of life. He understood human 
nature, and could adapt himself to any occasion. He 
was generally a quiet speaker, but when inspired by his 
subject he would rise in flights of oratory and eloquence, 
carrying his congregation with him and moving them to 
decisions for greater usefulness in the service of Christ. 



272 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

His sermons were so natural and logical that they would 
convince his hearers of the great importance of right 
living and activity for Christ. 

He was a genial companion and a good conversation- 
alist. He was kind and liberal, always ready to do his 
part. In social life he was attractive and, at times, 
brilliant in conversation. He was very fond of young- 
people, and always sought to encourage them to some- 
thing noble and great. 

He married the daughter of Rev. Thomas N. Johnson, 
a Baptist minister of Buckingham County, Va. His 
wife, who survives him, was truly a minister's helpmeet, 
and his home was always pleasant and his doors were 
ever opened to his brethren and friends. Over fifty years 
he was a pastor. How wonderful that he should have 
accomplished so much and lived so long when he was 
always delicate ! That prevented him from taking an 
active part in our Convention and Associational meet- 
ings. He could not stand the crowds. He must have 
fresh air and a good deal of it. During his life he was 
always bearing testimony to the love of God and the 
worth of religion, and needed not to say anything when 
he came to die. In his last days he would frequently 
say: "I am ready whenever the Master calls me." He 
died of heart failure, and could not say anything when 
the end came. In the midst of his loved ones he calmly 
and peacefully passed away from his work on earth to 
his home in heaven. Loving hands and sympathetic 
friends laid him to rest in the beautiful cemetery in 
Lynchburg. Rev. Oscar E. Sams, his successor in 
Lynchburg, made an appropriate address and closed witfi 
the benediction. 

W . J. Shipman. 



JOHN FRAZIER LANCASTER 
1826-1910 

Bedford and Floyd Counties and the Blue Ridge 
Association formed the district in which John Frazier 
Lancaster spent his life. After his birth, on December 
15, 1826, in the former county, his father moved, with 
his family, to Floyd. The members of this family were, 
for a time, the only regular or missionary Baptists in 
the county. When the New Haven Church was organ- 
ized the subject of this sketch and others of his family 
were the charter members. In 1858 he represented his 
church in the organization of the Blue Ridge Associa- 
tion; for a season he was clerk of this body. In 1864, 
at the call of the Mayo Church, he was ordained to the 
gospel ministry, and was pastor of Blackberry and per- 
haps other churches. He was not only an earnest 
preacher of the gospel but an uncompromising advocate 
of "total abstinence," and Rev J. Lee Taylor, who fur- 
nishes some of the material for this sketch, well says that 
had his life been prolonged he would have rejoiced 
greatly "in the blessing which came to his beloved State 
September 22, 1914," when Virginia decided for "State- 
Wide Prohibition." He was married to Annie, the oldest 
daughter of Rev. D. G. Taylor. Of this union eight 
children were born, of whom five, namely : Robert, 
Emma, John D., George T., and Lizzie, are still living. 
This couple reared an interesting family, and lived to 
celebrate their "golden wedding." Since Mr. Lancaster 
was a man of good education, it is not surprising to know 
that much of his early life was given to teaching. He 
passed to his reward March 1, 1910. 

273 



ROBERT DANIEL HAYMORE 
1840-1910 

Although Robert Daniel Haymore died in North 
Carolina, and although some years of his ministry were 
given to other States, he was a Virginian, and a con- 
siderable part of his life work was in his native State. 
When, on June 6, 1910, he passed away, he had reached 
the age of some threescore and ten years, and had been 
a preacher about half a century. His work in Virginia 
was given to churches in the Roanoke and Blue Ridge 
Associations and to the church, then known as Goodson, 
in Bristol. A part of his time in Virginia he was a 
missionary of the State Mission Board, and one year the 
report of this Board, when speaking of the Blue Ridge 
Association, his territory, described it, saying : "Nearly 
every mile of which is missionary ground." In the 
Roanoke Association he was pastor of Harmony Church, 
and in the Blue Ridge, first and last, of these churches : 
Bethlehem, True Vine, Starry Creek, New Haven, 
Taylorsville, Beulah, and Rocky Mount. After his pas- 
torate at Bristol, which lasted some six or seven years, 
he accepted a call to the Central Church, Chattanooga, 
Tenn. Of this pastorate Dr. J. J. Taylor says: "The 
church was in the formative period of its history and 
needed the guiding hand of a master. Brother Haymore 
was just the man for the hour. By his serene spirit, his 
wise oversight, his friendly bearing, he brought unifica- 
tion, hopefulness, courage, and laid the foundation of 
the prosperity that has ensued." After some six or seven 
years in Chattanooga he resigned the care of the large 
city church and returned to the section where he had been 
brought up, and took charge of the Mount Airy Church. 

274 



ROBERT DAXIEL HAYMORE 275 

Here he erected a beautiful residence and bought a good 
farm a mile out of the town. So, with his church and 
large response to evangelistic calls, his life ran to its 
close. At the close of one year, writing to the Herald 
concerning meetings he had held, he said : "More than 
two hundred have been added to the Baptist churches, 
many of them heads of families and persons of wealth 
and influence. Among them, two young men have been 
licensed to preach, both holding college diplomas. We 
greatly desired a greater measure of visible results, but 
we did all we could." 

While his early life may not have had the oppor- 
tunities for the largest educational preparation, still he 
was in no mean sense an educated man. "He had some 
knowledge of Greek, and his library was rich in English 
classics, with which he had an extensive acquaintance. 
In his public ministrations he showed a comprehensive 
grasp of any subject he undertook to discuss, and he 
never lacked in appropriate expression. Indeed, in 
stature, voice, grace of manner, perspicuity of thought, 
and facility of expression he impressed himself upon his 
hearers as one of the foremost preachers of his day." 
As a young man he was handsome, being "square built, 
erect, beardless, swarthy, keen of eye and alert of mind." 
In these early days he met one of the most accomplished 
young women of his section of country, Miss Charlotte 
A. Reid, and she became his wife. Of this union four 
sons were born, namely : Nathan. Robert, Jerman, and 
Nicholas. All of these sons, save Robert, are still living. 
She was the daughter of Dr. Robert Reid, a distinguished 
physician, though she had been adopted by her childless 
uncle, Major Nathan Reid, whose home was a beautiful 
country residence. 

In evidence of the fact that Mr. Haymore was ever 
charitable towards the faults and foibles of others, 



276 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Dr. J. J. Taylor, from whom the larger part of the 
material for this sketch has been secured, tells the follow- 
ing incident : "Some years ago, when Hugh Smith was 
pastor in Martinsville, several visiting preachers were 
guests in the pastor's home, Haymore among them. The 
tide of ministerial fellowship ran high, and, incidentally, 
but with no sort of malice or mischief, the odd doings of 
some of the brethren came under review. Later the hour 
of prayer before slumber came on, and Haymore, as the 
elder, was asked to lead the devotions. Without pre- 
meditation he turned to the seventh chapter of Matthew, 
and, with that modulation and emphasis which so inter- 
prets the printed page, he began reading: 'Judge not 
that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge 
ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete it 
shall be measured unto you again.' In the midst of the 
reading he paused, and in one of those explosions of 
emotion which sometimes seized him, he said, with tears : 
T feel rebuked!' Though if there were sin, he was the 
least sinner of us all. In even a tenderer tone he finished 
the lesson, and then in a prayer as simple as a child's he 
led us into the secret place of the Most High and laid 
our faults and failures and sins at the Master's feet." 



MADISON E. PARRISH 
1910 

Although a native of Virginia and a son of Richmond 
College (where he was a student, 1882-88, and where he 
took his M. A. degree), the only pastorate Rev. Madison 
E. Parrish ever held in Virginia was the brief one of a 
year and eight months at South Street Baptist Church, 
Portsmouth. This was the close of his earthly service. 
After a severe illness with pneumonia he passed away on 
June 11, 1910, leaving a widow and a son, Madison E. 
Parrish, Jr., nine years old. Upon his death, a citizen of 
Portsmouth said : "His place can never be filled : all 
denominations loved him alike." Some few weeks 
before his death he was assisted in a protracted meeting 
in his church by the Rev. Carter Ashton Jenkins, now of 
Richmond. During the progress of the meeting Mr. 
Parrish worked day and night. One day he talked from 
morning till night with twenty unconverted persons in 
their respective places of business. That evening, with 
tears on his thin, pale face, he said to the brother who 
was assisting him : "I have been fighting the devil to- 
day, but we will get one soul to-night." He was right; 
that night one man was converted, and, before the series 
of meetings ended, more than fifty persons -had accepted 
Christ. 

Besides the Portsmouth pastorate, with which this 
life, cut off in its prime, ended, Mr. Parrish had served 
churches at Clovesport, Ky., Johnston, S. C, Salisbury 
and Shelby, N. C. From this last town, where he was 
pastor in 1908, the town from which Rev. Dr. A. C. 
Dixon and his two brothers came, he wrote thus to the 

277 



278 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Religious Herald: "I have the finest corn, tomatoes, 
potatoes, beans, fat chickens, all fresh and homemade, 
and I am feeding the flesh. I will send you some news 
matter when the frost comes." Upon this letter the 
editor of the Herald said, among other things : "Com- 
mend us to the minister who has a fine kitchen, garden 
and poultry yard. You may depend that he has a whole- 
some personality, likes to see things grow, knows himself 
what a hoe handle is for, has no dyspepsia, and does not 
see the world through yellow glasses." In these words 
Rev. Carter Ashton Jenkins describes Mr. Parrish : "If 
purity of life, sweetness of disposition, unprecedented 
humility, profound and lucid holdings of doctrine, broad 
learning, comprehensive acquaintance with history, 
unusual pulpit magnetism, together with refined manners 
and unwavering faith in Jesus Christ, constitute a great 
man, then Madison E. Parrish is the man of whom you 
are thinking." 



JACOB SALLADE 

1871-1910 

Lives of ministers are not without mysterious tragedy, 
and still the promise holds : "He will give his angels 
charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways." The 
same Herald that announced the name of Jacob Sallade 
as the Chairman of the Preaching Bureau Committee for 
the Baptist World Alliance, in Philadelphia, gave an 
account of his sudden death. On Monday, July 11. 
1910, as he was hastening to take a train at Tioga Sta- 
tion, Philadelphia, he stepped in front of a southbound 
train, was hurled in front of another train, northbound, 
and instantly killed. He was born in Williamsport, Pa., 
September 19, 1871, and reared in Fredericksburg. He 
attended Bowling Green Academy, and then was at Rich- 
mond College the sessions of 1892, 1893, and 1894 as a 
ministerial student. On January 9, 1896, he was ordained 
at the Broadus Memorial Church, Richmond, of which 
church he was the first pastor, having been elected pastor 
October 28, 1895. He resigned September 7, 1896. Be- 
fore this time he had served Mt. Hermon and Providence 
Churches in the Rappahannock Association, and the Con- 
cord Church in the Dover. While a student at Crozer he 
was pastor at Milton, Pa.; this place being 165 miles 
from the Seminary, he had a long trip every Saturday 
and Monday. He graduated at Crozer in the Class of 
1898. While in Philadelphia he wrote to the Herald: 
"The Old Dominion may forget some of her boys, but 
it is hard work for the boys to forget the Old Dominion." 
In 1901 he became pastor of the First Baptist Church, 
New Castle, Pa. He left this field to become assistant 

279 



28G VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

pastor of Dr. Russell H. Conwell, Grace Baptist Temple, 
Philadelphia. From the Temple he went, in 1905, to the 
pastorate of the Tioga Baptist Church. In 1908 he 
became District Secretary of the Home Mission Society. 
In May, 1910, he became co-pastor to Dr. Conwell, the 
position he was filling at the time of his death. What is 
well-known to-day in church circles as the "Duplex 
Envelope" is the result of much study and work, but Mr. 
Sallade was the first "to apply the idea of a two-pocket 
envelope to church collection uses." His envelope, which 
was called a twin envelope, was patented August 27, 
1901. it being No. 681,659. His envelope in a modified 
form was again patented February 18, 1902, the number 
of this patent being 693,624. 

His funeral, attended by three thousand friends, 
including two hundred ministers, was held in the Grace 
Baptist Temple, and was conducted by these ministers : 
J. M. Wilbur, Russell H. Conwell, John Gordon, T. H. 
Sprague, and J. M. T. Childrey. The body was laid to 
rest at Williamsport. Rev. Dr. John Love contributed 
to the Baptist Commonwealth a poem in honor of the 
memory of Dr. Sallade, entitled "An Appreciation." In 
this poem this stanza occurred : 

"To him no warning came until the hour 
That marked the tyrant's dread, resistless power ; 
One moment gazed he on the scenes of time, 
The next on views of Paradise sublime." 

In 1902 he was married at Milton, Pa., to Miss Mabel 
Hatfield ; she and their daughter Ruth survived him. In 
1908 the degree of D. D. was given him by the Temple 
University. 



JOSEPH LEONARD 

1855-1910 

Quite regularly, for a long number of years, the name 
of Joseph Leonard appears in the list of Baptist pastors, 
as given in the Minutes of the General Association of 
Virginia, and much less regularly, in the same series of 
Minutes, is his name found as one of the pastors of the 
Lebanon Association. In this Association he was pastor, 
first and last, of the following churches : Walnut Grove, 
Gum Hill. Willow Branch, Lime Hill, Valley View, and 
North Fork. Several of these churches are in Washing- 
ton County, Virginia, the county in which he was born 
and where his life was spent. Because the sphere of 
his life was narrow and the churches to which he min- 
istered were small, it must not be decided that his service 
was not faithful and effective. The people among whom 
his ministry of some thirty-five years was spent had 
confidence in him, hence the secret of the success that fol- 
lowed his labors. Besides his work as a pastor he was 
for six years a colporteur and for twenty-six years a 
school-teacher. The span of his life was from 1855 to 
July, 1910. 



281 



ROBERT WILLIAMSON 
1828-1910 

At the sixty-seventh session of the Accomac Associa- 
tion, held in 1876 with the Lower Northampton Church, 
a resolution was passed appointing Rev. Robert William- 
son and Rev. F. R. Boston to prepare a history of the 
Association from its organization. As Mr. Boston, soon 
after this time, left the Association, the work fell upon 
Mr. Williamson. In 1878 Mr. Williamson's "Brief 
History of the Origin and Progress of the Baptists on the 
Eastern Shore of Virginia, Embracing an Account of the 
Accomack Association and Sketches of the Churches" 
appeared, being a pamphlet of one hundred pages and 
selling for thirty cents. Of the Accomac Association he 
was moderator in 1874 and in 1875, and in 1875 the 
preacher of the introductory sermon. While in this 
Association he was pastor of these churches : Lower 
Northampton, Red Bank, Beulah, Union, and Chinco- 
teague, living on Chincoteague Island. Before coming 
into the Accomac he had his home within the bounds of 
the Rappahannock Association, and after leaving the 
Accomac he returned to the region of the Rappahannock 
Association. For a season he was pastor of the Farnham 
and Jerusalem Churches, members of this body. For 
many years, however, of his sojourn at Farnham he was 
not a pastor. It is said that he baptized no less than five 
hundred persons during his residence in the Northern 
Neck. His preference was for the quiet life of the 
teacher, and so he gave much of his attention to this form 
of service, being principal of several academies in differ- 
ent parts of the State. In his obituary, in the Minutes 

282 



ROBERT WILLIAMSON 283 

of the General Association of Virginia, are these words 
concerning him : "His life was that of an earnest servant 
of God, and, dying, he left no stain to dim the precious- 
ness of his ministry." Princess Anne County was where, 
in 1828, he first saw the light. His ordination to the 
gospel ministry took place at Menokin Church, Richmond 
County, in 1856; he was one of the seven graduates that 
Richmond College sent forth in 1854, and on October 10, 
1910, in Richmond County, he passed to his eternal 
reward. 



CHARLES EDWIN STUART 
1872-1910 

As the delegates were on their way to the General 
Association, which met at Roanoke, November 18, 1910, 
they heard of the death of Charles Edwin Stuart, which 
took place November 16th. While for some months 
before his death he had not been well, since in all his 
ministry he had been so strong, and since he was in the 
very heyday of manhood, it seemed hard to associate 
death with him. Many of the delegates doubtless 
thought of another meeting of the Association at which 
Mr. Stuart had spoken with a fire and eloquence that had 
stirred the great audience. It was at the meeting at 
Grace Street Church, Richmond, in 1901. The work of 
State Missions was under discussion, and Mr. Stuart had 
as his subject his work and the religious condition of 
things in the Powell's River Association and in all that 
general section of the State. At this period he lived at 
Pennington Gap, and besides this point had Deep Springs, 
Jonesville, Dryden, and some other places as his preach- 
ing appointments. In these years he seemed to be 
activity personified, as if his motto had been: 

"We are not here to play, to dream, to drift, 
We have hard work to do and loads to lift. 
Shun not the struggle; face it. Tis God's gift." 

For some four or five years this was his field, a part of 
the work of the State Mission Board. One year he 
reported that he had preached 247 sermons and baptized 
62 persons; another year the record was 141 sermons 
and 52 baptisms. On April 30, 1905, Mr. Stuart 
preached the dedication of the Corinth Meeting-House 
and raised a collection of $143.47, and doubtless had 
large share in the effort that resulted in the erection of 
three other meeting-houses about the same time in the 

284 



CHARLES EDWIN STUART 285 

same section. Besides his regular appointments and 
much work in protracted meetings, he was greatly inter- 
ested in education. A school which he established, 
enrolled, the first year, 325 pupils. So marked was his 
success as to call forth from the Methodist presiding 
elder of the district the following testimony : "It may 
not have come to notice yet, but two other denominations 
are working this territory and will in the future contest 
every inch of it with the Methodists. Their strength and 
strenuous efforts make them a force that we do not 
lightly regard. Who shall hold this territory and be the 
instructors and guides of the people? The danger that 
threatens Methodism is their repose in conscious 
strength, while the persons referred to are almost 
fanatically loyal. The church which does the educational 
work for the young people of this valley will be the 
dominant church of the next generation." 

Mr. Stuart was born in Hanover County, July, 1872. 
His educational preparation for life was secured in 
Pulaski, Va., at Richmond College (where he was a stu- 
dent, 1892-97, and where he took his B. A.), and at 
Crozer Theological Seminary. He was ordained at 
Keysville, August 22, 1895, and his first field was at 
Keysville and Chase City, with Shiloh as one of his 
churches. After a brief season on this field he became 
pastor at Ashland, Va., and from there he went next, as 
pastor, to Wytheville, preaching also for Carmi Church. 
From the work at Pennington Gap, to which place he 
moved upon leaving Wytheville — which work has been 
described above — he came to Richmond, and, the first 
Sunday in February, 1906, took charge of the Venable 
Street Church. This was his last pastorate, the closing 
months of his service being given to work as one of the 
representatives of the Anti-Saloon League of Virginia. 
His wife (to whom he was married August 7, 1906, and 
who was, before her marriage, Miss Fannie B. Cox), 
survives him, with one son. 



THOMAS P. PEARSON 



No information concerning the life of Rev. Thomas 
P. Pearson, beyond that given in the obituary in the 
Minutes of the General Association, has been secured. 
He was a native of Franklin County, Virginia, where his 
life was spent. He was a constituent member of the Blue 
Ridge Association. He was ordained at Providence 
Church, and in the course of his ministry served Mill 
Creek, Trinity, Shady Grove, and Providence Churches. 
His was an unostentatious life. 



286 



JAMES FOLEY KEMPER 
1846-1913 

Although almost all of his work as a minister was 
given to Missouri, still Rev. James Foley Kemper was a 
Virginian, and for two brief seasons a pastor in his 
native State. Woodville, Rappahannock County, was his 
birthplace, and. after so many years spent in the West, 
lie was again in this little village when the summons came 
to him for the "long journey." His life reached from 
May 20, 1846. to April 5, 1913. His parents were 
Dr. Charles Rodham Kemper and Mary Virginia 
i Jones) Kemper. In his twenty-first year, on November 
28, 1866, he was married, but it seems that at this time 
he was not a member of the church; indeed, his baptism 
did not take place till the autumn of 1870. His educa- 
tional outfit for life's work was secured at the Virginia 
Military Institute, Lexington, Va., and at the Southern 
Baptist Theological Seminary, then located at Greenville, 
S. C. Before he had decided to become a minister of the 
gospel he practiced law for some months at the Rappa- 
hannock County Court, and before he became a regular 
pastor he was a supply, first for Dr. W. R. L. Smith at 
the First Baptist Church, Lynchburg, and then in Dan- 
ville. While in Lynchburg he attended, May 29, 1879, 
at Portsmouth, the General Association as the delegate 
of the First Church. As a missionary of the State Mis- 
sion Board he took charge of the church in Harrison- 
burg, Va., in 1879, remaining there some two years. 
About 1883 he turned his face towards the State that 
was to be his home and his field of labor for almost 
thirty years. While in Missouri he was pastor of these 

287 



288 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

churches: Glasgow, Louisiana, Maryville, Marshall, 
Carthage, Boonville. His longest pastorate seems to 
have been at Marshall, where he labored from 1893 to 
1902. There is full evidence of the esteem in which he 
was held by Missouri Baptists. When they met in their 
annual gathering at Lexington, October 22, 1907, he was 
elected moderator of the body, and before this, more 
than once, he had been elected vice-moderator of this 
convention. He received the honorary degree of Doctor 
of Divinity from William Jewell College, and soon after 
his death these words about his worth and work appeared 
in the Word and Way: ''During his connection with the 
Baptist work in this State no [other] minister was more 
generally loved and revered. ... He was not only 
an able preacher, but his consecrated, godly life was an 
influence for good wherever he was known." In 1908 
he was once more in Virginia, and as pastor of the 
Washington, Piedmont, and Oakley Churches, in the 
Shiloh Association, he labored for a few years, but the 
"call of the West" must have been in his heart, for in 
1910 he was once again in charge of a church in 
Missouri. Rev. Dr. E. W. Winfrey, in the obituary he 
prepared of Dr. Kemper for the Minutes of the General 
Association, says that "he was dignified, but gracious and 
winsome in bearing as a man, forceful and fresh as a 
preacher, and his patience in suffering seemed impres- 
sively Christian," and that he was "manly, gentlemanly, 
amiable, brave, scholarly, consecrated, Christly." His 
wife, who before her marriage was Miss Laura Frances 
Miller, survives him. 



C. E. WRENN 

1858-1914 

While Virginia was his birthplace, C. E. Wrenn died 
in San Antonio, Texas, May 22, 1914, whither he had 
gone, accompanied by his wife, in search of health. He 
was born in Hanover County in 1858, and in this section 
of the State his last work was done. After studying in 
Richmond he was baptized into the fellowship of the 
Grace Street Baptist Church by Rev. Dr. Wm. E. 
Hatcher. On August 4, 1898, he was married, in Cali- 
fornia, to Miss Alda Gaines. His ordination took place 
in Danville, Va.. November 5, 1906. For a season he was 
pastor at Jessup, Ga. His ministry in Virginia was first 
at the Schoolfield Church, Danville, and at the Elon 
(Goshen Association) and Hopewell (Dover Associa- 
tion) Churches. In 1909, while at the former field, he 
baptized twenty-nine persons into the fellowship of the 
church, and the following year sixty-three. The last 
months of his service were marked by his failing health, 
yet his faithfulness won large place for him among the 
people whom he strove to serve when death was so near 
at hand. 



289 



WILLIAM HETH WHITSITT 
1841-1911 

While not a native of Virginia, in a very real sense 
Dr. Whitsitt may be called an adopted son of the Old 
Dominion. At a very trying hour in his life his election 
to the Chair of Philosophy in Richmond College brought 
him to Richmond, where the remainder of his days were 
spent, and in Hollywood, Virginia's most beautiful "city 
of the dead," his body sleeps. He was always most loyal 
to his native State, never allowing to go by an oppor- 
tunity to praise Tennessee. He was born near Nashville 
at the home of his father, Reuben Whitsitt, a prosperous 
farmer, November 25, 1841. At the age of seventeen he 
decided to give his life to the gospel ministry, and in 
1861, after three years as a student, he graduated at the 
Union University, then located at Murfreesboro. He at 
once enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army, but 
was soon made a chaplain, in which office he continued 
until the end of the War. He was under General Nathan 
B. Forrest, who, in his official reports, more than once 
made mention of the young chaplain's courage and 
gallantry. In 1866 he entered the University of Vir- 
ginia, and the next year the Southern Baptist Theological 
Seminary, Greenville, S. C. After two years there he 
went abroad to continue his studies in Leipsic and Berlin. 
It was not common in those days for young Baptist stu- 
dents from the South to study in Germany, and upon his 
return home doubt was entertained in some quarters as 
to his orthodoxy. Rev. Dr. J. J. Taylor is the authority 
for the story that soon after his arrival in this country 
he dispelled all uneasiness as to his devotion to the faith 

290 



WILLIAM HETH WHITSITT 291 

of his fathers when, upon his first appearance to preach, 
he gave out with great impressiveness the hymn : 

"Before Jehovah's awful throne 
Ye nations bow with sacred joy; 
Know that the Lord is God alone, 
He can create and He destroy." 

After a short pastorate at Hill Creek Church, Tenn., he 
accepted a call to the Baptist Church of Albany, Ga.. but 
he remained there only from February to September, 
since he was elected to the Chair of Biblical Introduction 
and Church History in the Southern Baptist Theological 
Seminary. This was in 1872, and his connection with 
the Seminary continued -till 1899. For no small part of 
this time he was Professor of Polemics and Church 
History. 

In the Seminary and in the esteem and affections of the 
students Dr. Whitsitt held an important place and a 
place all his own. The men who studied under him 
thoroughly believed in his piety, his sincerity, and his 
scholarship. His quaint and pithy way of putting things 
attracted and impressed in the classroom, causing many 
of his sayings to be quoted in and beyond the Seminary. 
The way in which he examined details and showed how 
little things are closely related to great issues and events 
was a lesson of untold value as teaching his students 
right historical methods. A stranger might have said at 
first blush that his lectures would be dry, but no student 
at all inclined to listen and study would have confirmed 
such an opinion. While his manner was deliberate, his 
words seemed carefully chosen, and each one in its right 
place. His lectures were rich in epigrammatic expres- 
sions, incisive criticism, tender pathos, genuine humor, 
and rich common sense. As a preacher he never charmed 
the popular ear as did Dr. Broadus, but he had many 
admirers and many students who loved to hear him in the 



292 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

pulpit as well as in the classroom. Certainly in the 
Louisville days his sermons were always written and 
closely read, and the penmanship of the sermons, as well 
as of other writings, was characteristic and unusual. 
The writing was small, yet bold and clear, the sermons 
being on small sheets of paper. Dr. Broadus was fond 
of telling a joke on Dr. Whitsitt, of how he ruined the 
effect of a strong sermon, preached in New England, by 
beginning, soon after he came from the pulpit, to smoke 
a cigar. 

The heavy burden of classroom work that rested on 
the Seminary professors did not altogether hinder Dr. 
Whitsitt from literary work, for which he had so many 
qualifications. His inaugural address as professor had 
been on the theme: "The Relation of Baptists to Cul- 
ture," and, as the years passed, he published first a 
pamphlet entitled "History of the Rise of Infant Bap- 
tism," and another called "History of Communion 
Among Baptists." Later he wrote "Origin of the 
Disciples of Christ," "Life and Times of Judge Caleb 
Wallace," "A Question of Baptist History," "Genealogy 
of Jefferson Davis," "The Genealogy of Jefferson Davis 
and Samuel Davies, President of Princeton College." In 
1873 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from 
Mercer University, and later the degree of Doctor of 
Laws was conferred upon him by William Jewell, 
Georgetown, and the Southwestern Baptist Union Uni- 
versity. In 1881 he was married to Miss Florence 
Walker, and of this marriage two children were born, a 
daughter, who is now Mrs. H. G. Whitehead, and a. son, 
William Baker Whitsitt. All who had the privilege to 
come into the circle of Dr. Whitsitt's home were 
impressed with the glow of love and happiness that dwelt 
there. Dr. Whitsitt did not impress one as being physic- 
ally a strong man, and there may have been years when 



WILLIAM HETH WHITSITT 293 

his health was not robust, but certainly towards the end 
of his life he was by no means the victim of dyspepsia, 
that foe of men given to sedentary habits. The year of 
the Baptist Congress in London one of Dr. Whitsitt's 
former students, who was a passenger with him on the 
Princess Alice, was surprised at his thorough enjoyment 
of the decidedly German fare, fare which the student, a 
very much younger man. found too rich and gross. 

Upon the death of Dr. John A. Broadus, in 1895. 
Dr. Whitsitt was elected to succeed him as president of 
the Seminary. Soon after this, certain statements that 
Dr. Whitsitt made, in articles and other publications, as 
to Baptist history, started a controversy that lasted 
several years, that was most bitter and unfortunate, and 
that finally led to Dr. Whitsitt's resignation. Whatever 
may have been the historical facts which aroused the dis- 
cussion, it seemed to many that free speech and full 
investigation were not things which need cause Baptists, 
of all people, any alarm. Many, if not all, of the Baptist 
newspapers of the South took part in the discussion, and 
in some sections District Associations became arenas of 
debate. Other denominations were attracted by what 
was going on in Baptist ranks, and many in these other 
communions seemed to think that the Baptists were 
threatened with disaster and perhaps dissolution. When 
finally the matter was ended, one paper said that Dr. 
Whitsitt went "into retirement with the distinction of 
having been more abused, more persistently misquoted, 
more cruelly dealt with by a large number of his brethren 
than any other man who has lived among us for a cen- 
tury past." Although Dr. Whitsitt was not fitted by 
taste or temperament for the acrimonies of such a bitter 
fight, nevertheless he calmly and with determination 
stood in his place. The Board of Trustees of the 
Seminary supported him, at two annual sessions, failing 



294 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

to take any steps looking towards his withdrawal from 
the presidency and from the Seminary. At the meeting 
of the Board of Trustees, at Louisville, in 1899, at the 
same time as the meeting of the Southern Baptist Con- 
vention, Dr. Whitsitt offered his resignation. It is 
understood that the Virginia trustees all voted against 
accepting the resignation, but many who were warm sup- 
porters of Dr. Whitsitt voted for the resignation in the 
interests of peace. At the commencement of the Semi- 
nary, a few weeks later, his connection with the institu- 
tion as professor and president closed. Upon this occasion 
friends presented the Seminary with a portrait of Dr. 
Whitsitt ; he made his final address, and words on behalf 
of the trustees were spoken. Dr. Whitsitt closed his 
address with these words: "In conclusion, I entreat the 
favor of God upon our school. It has done a good work 
hitherto. The past, at least, is secure. May the future 
also be glorious. May good learning, enlightened piety, 
and real Baptist orthodoxy always prevail in our Theo- 
logical Seminary. And now, with malice towards none, 
but with charity for all, I bid you an affectionate fare- 
well." Dr. Hatcher, speaking on behalf of the trustees, 
addressed Dr. Whitsitt with affectionate words, closing 
his remarks thus : "Doctor, in the name of the Board of 
Trustees and of the students, and of the people, I give 
you the hand of true fellowship and affection, and I bid 
you good-bye, and a thousand blessings upon you and 
your faithful wife and your noble children, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord." When the portrait had been 
presented by Rev. Dr. Carter Helm Jones and accepted 
by Dr. Hatcher on behalf of the trustees, after the 
applause had died away, as Dr. Whitsitt arose to call for 
the benediction he received an ovation. "Tears of affec- 
tion and gratitude dimmed his eyes," says the report of 



WILLIAM HETH WHITSITT 295 

the occasion in the Courier-Journal, "and choked his 
voice, and he could only indicate what his voice could not 
express." 

After leaving Louisville, and after a year abroad, Dr. 
Whitsitt accepted the professorship in Richmond and 
took up his new line of work, which he kept up until a 
few months before his death. Upon his retirement from 
his work at Richmond College the students presented him 
with a loving-cup, and that year dedicated to him the 
college annual. While he had been feeble for some time, 
his death was not expected, but on Friday, January 20, 
1911, he quietly fell on sleep. On Sunday afternoon 
friends gathered at 31 1 -Park Street and held a simple 
service. The Herald, in an editorial upon his death, said : 
"With the spirit of self-effacement, which was character- 
istic of him, he quietly gave up his position of president 
of our Seminary in the interest of peace, and later on we 
brought him to Virginia. We are glad that Virginians 
invited him, and glad that he came. We rejoice that in 
his later years he found here useful and congenial occu- 
pation for his mind and heart, and surrounded himself 
with friends whose love and honor he prized above all 
earthly possessions." 



JAMES IRA TAYLOR 

1831-1911 

About 1772 George Taylor and his wife, who, before 
her marriage, was Miss Elizabeth Anyon, set out from 
Wales for the new world across the Atlantic. They 
finally settled in Henry County. Virginia. In this 
county, in 1779, the husband made entry of a tract where 
he lived, died, and was buried. One of his ten children 
was Reuben Taylor. Reuben Taylor and his wife, Nancy 
Gray, reared a large family. One of their sons, James 
Ira Taylor, was born, April 13, 1831, in the Mayo 
neighborhood, in the southern part of Henry County. 
His education, which was limited, was secured mainly 
in the common schools, though he studied for a season 
at the Patrick Henry Academy at Penn's Store. His 
conversion, which took place on his father's farm, was 
deep and sound. "He believed with all his heart that 
only a profound conviction of sin can lead to true repent- 
ance and to faith in the Lord Jesus." Soon after his 
conversion he was ordained to the gospel ministry, and 
he found great satisfaction in warning people "against 
the perils of the movement of Alexander Campbell" and 
in preaching salvation by grace. The two preacher 
brothers, James Ira and Daniel Gray, sought to be in 
some pulpit every Sunday, unless detained by other calls 
of Providence. While Sycamore Church, Patrick 
County, Blue Ridge Association, was the only pastorate 
James Ira Taylor ever held in Virginia, he was highly 
successful as the teacher of a Bible Class at Mayo 
Church. He had much to do in shaping the theology of 
the fourteen preachers whom Mayo Church sent out into 

296 



JAMES IRA TAYLOR 297 

the world. Some of these men hold high places to-day, 
and they can testify that the Theological Seminary did 
not have to revise the theology they had learned in the 
Mayo Bible Class under Mr. Taylor. 

After many years at Sycamore, in 1874, Mr. Taylor 
migrated to Oregon. While for a season pastor of a 
country church in Benson County, in the State of his 
adoption, the larger part of his time was given to young 
pioneer churches that were unable to offer him financial 
support. He spent much time in the study of the Bible, 
and was in the habit of reading the good book in the 
family ; "evening prayer was part of the daily pro- 
gramme, and was always a season of religious uplift and 
refreshing." In Oregon, thirty years ago, preaching was 
in many places infrequent and infidelity rampant. Men 
who came into Mr. Taylor's home for a formal visit of 
an hour were often led by him, in a tactful way, into 
religious conversation and kept for the larger part of the 
day. 

Miss Ruth Pratt, of the Mayo neighborhood, who, in 
January, 1857, became Mr. Taylor's wife, and who was 
"all the world to him," survived him. They were the 
parents of a large family; four sons and four daughters 
are still living: they are Rev. Dr. William Carson Tay- 
lor, Reuben Taylor, Mrs. E. H. Hawkins, Mrs. J. T. 
Vincent, Frank Taylor, Jesse G. Taylor, Mrs. J. L. Tait, 
and Mrs. Caleb Davis. Mr. Taylor lived to see all his 
children happily married and all in the kingdom of God. 
He died on Monday, March 27, 1911, at 4:30 p. m., at 
Corvallis, Oregon. 



JOHN W. MARTIN 

1848-1911 

A native of Appomattox County, John W. Martin 
spent his life in this and the adjoining counties of 
Nelson, Campbell, and Amherst. One of five sons of 
Valentine and Elizabeth Plunkett Martin, he was born 
June 28, 1848. When quite a young man he went, with 
his brother, to Lynchburg, and engaged in the hardware 
business. He was baptized into the fellowship of the 
First Baptist Church by Rev. Dr. C. C. Bitting. He 
became active and interested in Sunday-school work ; out 
of this effort, in which young Martin bore a part, the 
Sunday school was organized that later grew into the 
College Hill Baptist Church. When he felt clearly that 
he was called to the gospel ministry he at once decided 
to go to Richmond College to prepare himself for what 
he had determined to make his life work. At the college 
he was older than many of the students, and his portly 
form helped to give him the air of a man rather than a 
stripling, but his energy and jovial spirit made him com- 
panionable and popular with his fellow-students. On 
December 18, 1879, he was married, at Gidsville, Va., 
by the Rev. Samuel Massie, to Miss Jennie Gannaway, 
the daughter of James M. and Sarah Gannaway, and on 
July 31, 1882, was ordained at Ebenezer Church, 
Amherst County. His first pastorate was with this 
church. Before his ministry, of thirty-odd years, came 
to a close, he had been pastor, for longer or shorter 
periods, of these churches : Ebenezer, Jonesboro, St. 
Stephen's, Walnut Grove, Adiel, Kingswood, Mineral 
Spring, Central, Ariel, Piney River, Oak Hill, Clifford. 

298 



JOHN W. MARTIN 299 

His work was in the bounds of the Albemarle Associa- 
tion until 1903, when the Piedmont Association was 
organized, after which time his labors were in the latter 
Association. Of this body he was clerk from its organi- 
zation until his death. He was a man of tireless energy, 
and for a part of his life managed to carry on a store 
and teach school, all in addition to his work for his 
churches. At times he was the pastor of five churches. 
Of Mr. Martin, Rev. W. F. Fisher said, in the Herald, 
soon after his death: "He was a fine organizer; he 
possessed the remarkable ability to get other people inter- 
ested in the work. . . Genial, cordial, sympathetic, 
companionable, he won the people, young and old. He 
was untiring in his efforts. . . . His people all 
loved him." To the end, even after his strength began 
to fail, he kept at his work. His last sermon was 
preached the second Sunday in June at Clifford, where 
he was seeking to complete a house of worship. The 
Sunday before his death he made an earnest address 
before the Woman's Missionary Society at Central 
Church. He died Thursday, June 22, 1911, on the birth- 
day of his wife. The funeral, which took place at his 
home, was conducted by Rev. W. R. McMillan and Rev. 
S. P. Massie. The Mt. Pleasant and Lowesville Lodges 
of Masons were represented at the funeral. He was sur- 
vived by his wife and these five children : Carroll Martin, 
Sampson Martin. Maitland Martin, Mrs. R. C. Taylor, 
Mrs. Frank Scott. 



JAMES BARNETT TAYLOR, JR. 

1837-1911 

In Hollywood, Richmond's "city of the dead," in the 
same lot, are the graves of James Barnett Taylor, Sr., 
and his son, James Barnett Taylor, Jr. In the city where 
the father was pastor of the Second and Grace Street 
Baptist Churches and Secretary of the Foreign Mission 
Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, this son was 
born, October 22, 1837. The home in which he grew up 
was remarkable for its piety, its "plain living, and high 
thinking." The children were as familiar with books as 
a stableboy is with horses. The mother in the home, of 
New England ancestry, had in her make-up energy, 
thrift, shrewd common sense, and a decided religious 
turn of mind. The father was a remarkable pastor, an 
excellent preacher, and had great gifts of leadership and 
capacity for administration. It is no wonder that this 
boy in this home should be a clerk for a season in a 
bookstore if he was to be clerk at all, or that at the age 
of fifteen he became a member of the church, being bap- 
tized December 19. 1852, by Dr. Jeter, and that his after- 
life gave full evidence of the genuineness of his early 
conversion. 

His education, which had already been started in the 
home, was continued, first at Richmond College (1852- 
53, 1853-54, 1855-56), then at the University of Vir- 
ginia, and then at the Southern Baptist Theological 
Seminary, Greenville, S. C. While a student at Rich- 
mond College he carried on, with Rev. Wm. E. Hatcher, 
his fellow-student, a protracted meeting at Grace Street 
Baptist Church which was marked by deep spiritual 

300 



JAMES BARNETT TAYLOR, JR. 301 

power and which resulted in a large number of conver- 
sions. This episode was prophetical of his future career; 
in after years he was quite successful in evangelical work ; 
indeed, all of his preaching had the evangelistic note. At 
the University of Virginia he was one of that little group 
of students who organized the first college Y. M. C. A. in 
the world, and he was one of the ''managers" of the new 
organization. 

On June 10, 1860, an interesting service was held at 
Charlottesville, Va. Several young men were set aside 
at this time for the gospel ministry. The presbytery was 
composed of the following ministers : James B. Taylor, 
Sr., James Fife, A. M. "Poindexter, Tiberius Gracchus 
Jones, A. B. Cabaniss, John A. Broadus, A. B. Brown. 
Charles Ouarles, and W. P. Farish. The young men 
who had been examined the day before, and who were 
ordained, were Crawford H. Toy, John L. Johnson, and 
James B. Taylor, Jr., of the Charlottesville, and John 
Wm. Jones, of the Mechanicsville Church. The sermon 
was preached by Dr. T. G. Jones, on the text "Preach the 
word." The ordaining prayer was made by Dr. Taylor, 
and then the charge was delivered by Dr. Broadus. By 
this time the crowd, already large, was so increased by 
people from other congregations in the town, whose 
services were over, that the standing throng around the 
doors pressed far down the aisles, "preserving, however, 
a breathless silence." The purpose of these young men 
to go to China and Japan was interfered with by the 
coming on of the War. The same awful event inter- 
rupted Mr. Taylor's course at the Seminary at Greenville. 
He at once enlisted, and, as a member of Brook's Troop. 
Hampton's Legion, was present at the first battle of 
Manassas. Later he was transferred to Gen. W. H. F. 
Lee's command in the 10th Virginia Cavalry. As a 
chaplain, and as an agent seeking funds with which to 



302 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

secure Bibles for the Confederate soldiers, he was very 
useful. He also compiled a hymn-book, which was 
extensively used in camp and other religious services. 

After the War he became pastor at Culpeper Court 
House, Va. During a pastorate of ten years at this 
place he built up a strong church, beginning with a mem- 
bership of only 28. Before he left there were 320 
additions to the church, and, besides, he had 500 con- 
versions in the protracted meetings he held in the sur- 
rounding country. Once at the Louisville Seminary, 
Dr. Broadus, addressing his class, used James B. Taylor, 
Jr., and his work at Culpeper, as an illustration of the 
blessing a wise and consecrated and tactful preacher 
could be in a town and in a whole Association. From 
Culpeper he went, in October, 1875, to Wilmington, 
N. C, to become pastor of the First Baptist Church of 
that city. Here he remained some years, wiping out a 
debt on the meeting-house and greatly strengthening the 
church. After a serious illness he resigned and spent 
some months in European travel. 

Upon his return from Europe he accepted a call to the 
Baptist Church at Lexington, Va. While the Baptists 
are not strong in Lexington, the fact that the Virginia 
Military Institute and Washington and Lee University 
are located in this town adds importance to this pastorate. 
Besides a faithful ministry to his own flock. Dr. Taylor 
won the esteem and confidence of the faculties of the two 
institutions of learning and of the community, and did 
good work among the students. The location of the 
Baptist meeting-house is not a commanding one, but dur- 
ing his pastorate the building was enlarged and so 
improved as to be much more attractive. During his 
pastorate here Dr. Taylor was called, upon the death of 
Rev. Dr. John P. Strider, Professor of Moral Philoso- 
phy and Belles-Lettres, to fill, for a season, the Chair of 



JAMES BARNETT TAYLOR. JR. 303 

Moral Philosophy in the University ; this work he did in 
a highly acceptable manner to the students and faculty. 
During a part of his residence in Lexington he lived in 
what is known as the "Jackson House," it having been, 
for a time, the home of "Stonewall" Jackson. In June, 
1895, he became pastor of the Baptist Church. Salem. 
Va. This was at the time when the land boom, which 
had swept over Virginia, was leaving financial depression 
and disaster in its wake. Salem did not escape the 
"fever" and then the reaction. During the five years of 
Dr. Taylor's work in this beautiful and peaceful town, 
he was closely associated with the beginning of the Bap- 
tist Orphanage, which, declining many other offers, came 
to this town. For some time he was the field representa- 
tive of the Orphanage, in which capacity he brought the 
institution and its important work to the hearts and 
sympathy of hundreds of homes and churches, raising a 
goodly sum of money. When he left Salem it was to 
become the representative, in the field, of the Georgia 
Baptist Orphanage, with his residence in Atlanta. In 
this position, the last regular work of his life, he was 
eminently successful, receiving, with his family, a warm 
place in the affections of Georgia and Atlanta Baptists. 
While he was for a time supply pastor at Freemason 
Street, Norfolk, and also at Suffolk, during the years 
that remained, Richmond, the home of his boyhood days, 
was his residence. As long as he was able he preached 
as an occasional supply for churches in and near Rich- 
mond. After several years of increasing feebleness, 
during which time his cheerfulness and courage kept at 
high tide, on Thursday morning, June 29, 1911, in Bar- 
ton Heights, a suburb of Richmond, the end came. The 
funeral, which took place in Grove Avenue Church, was 
conducted by Rev. Dr. W. C. James, the pastor, assisted 
by Rev. Dr. Charles H. Ryland. Rev. Dr. R. J. Willing- 



304 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ham, and Rev. Dr. R. H. Pitt. The burial was in 
Hollywood, and Rev. Dr. W. E. Hatcher, coming from 
his summer home at Fork Union, reached the grave in 
time to offer the prayer. His wife and five children sur- 
vive him. He was twice married ; his first wife, who 
died in Culpeper, was Miss Fannie R. Poindexter (the 
daughter of Rev. Dr. A. M. Poindexter), a woman 
remarkably lovely in person and character. His second 
wife was Miss Fannie E. Callendine, of Morgantown, 
W. Va., a most gracious and charming Christian woman. 
To within a few years of the end of his life Dr. Taylor 
had the blessing of vigorous physical health ; his com- 
plexion was florid, his figure inclining towards corpu- 
lence, yet withal he was alert in his movements. He 
loved work, and was ever busy. While fond of books, 
he loved human fellowship and the companionship of 
friends, his loved ones, and his brethren. For all the 
work and trials through which he passed he was blessed 
with a saving sense of humor. One of the biographers 
of Milton says that he was lacking in humor; this is 
the more remarkable as it is usually one of the factors in 
the make-up of great men. How much strain and stress 
the great poet would have been saved, living, as he did, 
in trying days, if he had had the sense of humor ! Many 
illustrations might be given of Dr. Taylor's humor and 
of his enjoyment of a joke or good story. He had, to a 
considerable degree, the power of mimicry and the 
instinct of an actor, which gifts often gave his loved 
ones half-hours of real relaxation and innocent amuse- 
ment. He was genial and companionable, knowing how 
to see the best in people and how to make that which 
was good in them better. He was fond of singing, and 
often in the morning his voice rang out in some hymn 
of devotion and praise. When he led family worship in 
his own home or elsewhere he was apt to start a hymn 



JAMES BARNETT TAYLOR, JR. 305 

which was so familiar that all could share in its strains. 
He was widely read in a kind of religious literature that 
does not seem to have much popularity to-day — the books 
of devotion and biography that were highly esteemed 
some generations ago. And books that he had read 
seemed ever ready to his hand for use. He had quite a 
collection of newspaper clippings which gave interesting 
facts about men and manners of other days. He had the 
historian's instinct. As a preacher he was earnest, direct, 
appealing to the conscience. His hearers, whether they 
were learned or ignorant, were apt to go away from the 
church wanting and planning to lead better lives. His 
sermons were usually short, and he was happy in his use 
of illustrations. Doubtless he inherited some of his 
father's gifts as a pastor ; certainly the people of his 
several churches loved him tenderly and felt, for years 
after his service with them ended, the uplift of his cheer- 
ful spirit and genuine piety. As a Baptist he had clear 
convictions, but was at the same time ready to find in 
other denominations his brethren in Christ and a high 
degree of devotion and consecration. He loved the 
meetings of the denomination, and was often seen and 
heard in the district and State gatherings, nor did he 
neglect the sessions of the Southern Baptist Convention. 
His contributions to the Religious Herald and other such 
papers were usually brief comments on men or questions 
of the day or excerpta from his scrapbook or from books 
that he had read and read again. From the movement 
of an active life he passed into the years of his physical 
decline, preserving his sunny spirit, his faith in God, and 
his interest in his fellow-men. Of him it was true that 
at eventime it was light. His children who survive him 
are Dr. Boyce Taylor, Dr. H. M. Taylor, Mrs. W. R. 
Whitman, and Mrs. W. J. Armstrong. 



GEORGE HOLM AX SXEAD 

1833-1911 

In the Virginia Baptist ministry there have been not 
a few men of ability who left the medical profession to 
become preachers of the gospel. The story that follows 
is the story of one who for many years accomplished 
successfully the work of physician and preacher. The 
community and church where this career was run are 
remarkable. Fluvanna County, while not one of the 
richest agricultural sections of Virginia, abounds in 
homes where people live in comfort and love to entertain 
their friends. In this county "The Fork" neighborhood, 
which takes its name from the Fork Union Church, has 
enjoyed, in a high degree, this fame for hospitality, and 
has been known as the home of an excellent and very 
large family, the Sneads. The chief church of this com- 
munity. Fork Union, as the name suggests, was origi- 
nally the meeting-place of various denominations. The 
meeting-house, and one of these denominations, the Bap- 
tists, have grown, through the years, until now every 
Sunday, and not just once a month, as was the early 
fashion, this people meet in this church for worship. 
The community is very largely a Baptist community. 
The enlargement and improvement of the meeting-house, 
having been paid for by this denomination, nothing but 
a friendly process of law was needed to give them legal 
right to the property. With no small part of this growth 
George Holman Snead was associated. He was born in 
the adjoining county of Goochland, at "Bouling Hall," 
the home of his parents, George Holman and Oranie 
Pollard Snead. Soon after his birth, which took place 

306 



GEORGE HOLMAN SNEAD 307 

February 17, 1833, his parents moved to Fluvanna, 
which was for the rest of his life his home. 

At the age of fourteen, in a meeting conducted by the 
famous evangelist, Reynolds, who afterwards lost his life 
in a shipwreck on the Atlantic Ocean, he made a profes- 
sion of religion. Of seven children, one sister and six 
sons, he was the first to accept Christ. The story of his 
mother's joy because of this event is handed down. The 
youth .hastened home to tell his mother what he had 
done, and she, upon hearing the good news, broke forth 
in joyful thanksgiving to God. From the neighborhood 
schools he passed to Richmond College, where he re- 
mained, 1853-54. When he had selected medicine as his 
profession he became a student at the University of Vir- 
ginia, taking his M. D. degree at the Commencement of 
1855. Further preparation for his life work was secured 
in Philadelphia, where for several months he was con- 
nected with the Philadelphia dispensary. The year that 
marked the beginning of his professional work in Flu- 
vanna County he was married to Miss Virginia Clopton 
Perkins. Until 1877, dwelling in the midst of his own 
people, he followed successfully his chosen profession, 
being popular in a wide section of country. In these 
years, into his beautiful home, a farm on the banks of 
the Rivanna River, eight children, who were to add 
greatly to his happiness, were born. All through these 
two decades Dr. Snead was active as a Christian, being 
a member of Bethel Church, which was near his home, 
and taking such part in the work of the church as his 
brethren laid upon him. While his ambition to be the 
superintendent of the Fork Union Sunday School was 
never realized, he was for many years in charge of the 
Bethel Sunday School. A busy country physician, who 
is an efficient Sunday-school superintendent, must be a 
man of earnest Christian spirit. 



308 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

After long and grave reflection, when he had come to 
middle life. Dr. Snead decided to enter the ministry. His 
bearing as a citizen, his activity and earnestness as a 
Christian, and his intelligence and enthusiasm, so com- 
manded the confidence of the community that this 
decision at once received the approval of the Fork Union 
Church. They called for his ordination, that he might 
become their pastor. When the ordination had taken 
place, the services being held at Bethel, and the presby- 
tery consisting of Rev. C. R. Dickinson and Rev. W. A. 
Whitescarver, he commenced his pastorate, that was to 
last thirty- four years and to the end of his life. Fork 
Union and Bethel were his churches during this long 
period, and for a briefer period he had charge of the 
Antioch and Columbia Churches. While he was shepherd 
of the last-named body a $5,000 brick meeting-house was 
erected in the village of Columbia. Before Dr. Snead 
became pastor of the "Fork" there had been a split in 
the church which led to the establishment of a new 
organization in sight of the old church. Soon after his 
ordination he became pastor of both these organizations, 
and in the process of time was able, by his tact and wis- 
dom, to bring both bodies together again into one vigor- 
ous and harmonious flock. As the years passed, the 
"Fork" grew in numbers and in power. When Dr. 
Snead had registered twenty years of pastoral service on 
one field, the Religious Herald paid tribute to this long 
and faithful record by publishing his picture and by an 
editorial which told about his work, mentioning the fact 
that he had baptized some four hundred persons. While 
before he became a minister his power as a public speaker 
was not remarkable, he grew to be strong and impressive 
in the pulpit and on the platform. His mind was vigor- 
ous, and he knew how to think straight. He was a man 
of decided convictions, convictions that he never hesi- 



GEORGE HOLMAN SNEAD 309 

tated to announce. His presence was pleasing and com- 
manding, and until the closing years of his life he was 
blessed with physical health. He declared that in much 
of his work of visitation he was able to blend the service 
of physician and pastor, thus effecting a great economy 
of time. The severest winter weather never stopped him, 
and, indeed, he contended that there was no reason why 
a country pastor or doctor should ever suffer from the 
cold ; it was only necessary to make proper provisions 
against the cold, provisions that were simple and within 
the reach of all. If any man was ever a prophet in his 
own country, Dr. Snead was that man; in the whole 
section in which he lived he was bound by blood or mar- 
riage to almost every one, and yet was a prophet with 
honor among his own people. This, for many reasons 
that will suggest themselves to the reader, is a remarkable 
record. 

Dr. Snead was always interested in education. For a 
number of years, in order to secure the best instruction 
for his own daughters and at the same time for the 
daughters of his neighbors, he maintained in his home 
a girls' boarding-school. When, under the leadership of 
Dr. Wm. E. Hatcher, the Fork Union Academy was 
established, he was among its strongest supporters, one 
of the trustees, up to a few years before his death the 
resident physician, and the first to suggest the military 
feature. The students always had a warm place in his 
heart. 

Notwithstanding the fact that for some fifteen years 
before his death he suffered, at times most severely, from 
grievous diseases, to the end he kept up his work. To 
within a few weeks of the end he was in his pulpit. He 
was a man of abounding energy, and his hope had always 
been that he might die in the harness. And so it was. 
Ten days before his death he was taken to St. Luke's 



310 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Hospital, Richmond, for surgical treatment, but relief 
was not obtained, and on Saturday, July 1, 1911, he 
passed away. It is not strange that a great concourse 
of people gathered at Fork Union the following Monday 
for the funeral. The trustees of the Academy were a 
funeral escort, the deacons of the church, the honorary, 
and his nephews, the active, pall-bearers. Dr. Wm. E. 
Hatcher presided over the services; resolutions of 
respect from the Board of Trustees of the Academy were 
read by Rev. L. H. Walton, who also paid a loving 
tribute to the departed one ; the chief address was 
delivered by Rev. Dr. Sparks W. Melton, and the closing 
one by Rev. Dr. George W. McDaniel. The body was 
laid to rest close to the church. On the last Sunday in 
July a memorial service was held at Bethel, where Dr. 
Snead had been pastor for thirty-three years, the main 
address on this occasion being delivered by Rev. L. H. 
Walton. His children who survive him are Mrs. Jos. T. 
Snead, Mrs. George M. Bashaw, Mr. Channing C. Snead. 
Mrs. C. Vernon Snyder, and Dr. Nash P. Snead. 



FRANCIS RYLAND BOSTON 

1847-1911 

Francis Ryland Boston was born at Shelltown, Somer- 
set County, Maryland, December 29, 1847, his parents 
being Rev. Solomon Charles and Mary Ann Marshall 
Boston. The atmosphere and traditions of the home 
into which this only child came were distinctly devout 
and religious. Throughout life he carried with him the 
memory of his grandfather, who was careful to maintain 
family worship, and whose house was the preacher's 
home. As a boy, when .his father called to him not to 
make so much noise, he knew that Sunday's sermon was 
in preparation, and when he himself became a preacher 
and a pastor consciously and unconsciously he found 
himself following his father's methods. When he had 
finished, in the town of Princess Anne, Somerset County, 
Maryland, his academic preparation, he entered Colum- 
bian College, Washington, D. C. His professors at 
Columbian were Clarke, Fristoe, Shute, Ruggles, Hunt- 
ington, and Samson, and among the students were James 
Nelson, J. Taylor Ellyson, and F. H. Kerfoot. His 
friendship with F. H. Kerfoot, begun in college, was 
strengthened at the Theological Seminary, where they 
graduated together. While his father was pastor at Lee 
Street Baptist Church, Baltimore, on April 15, 1869, 
Mrs. Boston died. This sad event, and the illness which 
went before it, caused the son to select Crozer Seminary, 
which was not far away, as the place to pursue his theo- 
logical studies. Here he graduated in 1872. 

His first pastorate was at Hernando, Miss. In the 
month of August, of the same year that took him to 

311 



312 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Hernando, he married Miss Annie Lewis Schoolfield, the 
only child of Ira Chase Schoolfield, of Petersburg, Va. 
In 1875 he accepted a call to the church at Onancock, 
Accomac County, Virginia. From there, in 1878, he 
went to the pastorate of the church at Hampton, Va., 
where he remained seven years. He left Hampton to 
become the pastor of the Curtis Baptist Church, Augusta, 
Ga. He remained in Augusta only one year, leaving 
there to accept, in 1884, a call to Warrenton, Va. Now 
commenced what was to be his life work, a pastorate 
that, with one break, was to last some twenty-three years. 
On April 25, 1885, about six months after he went to 
Warrenton, his wife departed this life. In 1887 he was 
married to Miss Mary Armistead Spilman, the daughter 
of Mr. John A. Spilman, of Warrenton. In 1891 he 
accepted a call to the Central Baptist Church, Memphis, 
Tenn. After three years he returned to Warrenton, 
where he remained as pastor until his death, Wednesday, 
August 23, 1911. Two children of his first marriage, 
Mrs. E. S. Turner and Mrs. C. S. Boston, and two of 
the second marriage, Miss Florence and Mr. John Armis- 
tead Boston, with their mother, survive him. 

Dr. Boston was a man of culture and refinement. He 
was genial and cordial in spirit, and decided in his con- 
victions. He was greatly beloved and esteemed by the 
Virginia Baptist brotherhood, being counted as one of 
their most trusted leaders. By pen and voice he was 
always ready to champion movements that made for the 
progress of the kingdom of God. In June, 1903, he had 
in his pulpit Rev. Dr. W. H. Whitsitt, who delivered 
before the Judson Missionary Society of the church an 
address on Luther Rice, and in September of the same 
year a Y. M. C. A. Convention, looking to the establish- 
ment of this kind of work in country districts, was held 
in Warrenton. Both of these events greatly interested 



FRANCIS RYLAND BOSTON 313 

Dr. Boston, and he wrote about them to the Religious 
Herald. He was painstaking and conscientious in what- 
ever he undertook. At Alexandria, some years ago, at 
a State District B. Y. P. U. meeting, he was to lead one 
of the sunrise prayer-meetings. Notwithstanding the 
fact that it was past midnight before he got to sleep, the 
next morning, at a very early hour, he was up making 
his final preparation for the service he was to conduct. 
Once in a prayer-meeting at the First Baptist Church, 
Richmond, he said, the subject being the duty and best 
method of reading the Bible, that he loved to take the 
Bible up and just read on and on and on. One of his 
brother pastors, who knew him very well, writes : "Oh, 
how gentle, how guileless, pure, consecrated, and faith- 
ful was he ! He sought to please the Master, but, at the 
same time, he was so gentle and considerate of the people 
that even those who did not believe in Christ loved 
Christ's minister. In the way of patience, meekness, and 
gentleness, Boston was my despair." Warrenton, one of 
the cultured towns of Piedmont Virginia, where Dr. 
Boston spent the larger part of his ministry, will not soon 
cease to feel the blessed influence of his life and service. 
His death was sudden and unexpected. After a sick- 
ness of several weeks and an illness of only a few days, 
an operation for appendicitis not having brought the 
hoped-for relief, he died at the Providence Hospital, 
Washington, D. C. His body was taken to Warrenton 
for burial. 



FRERRE HOUSTON JONES 

1836-1911 

Although his birth and death took place in North 
Carolina, Frerre Houston Jones was pastor for a number 
of years in Virginia. His father, one of three brothers 
who came over from the old country, apparently after 
some wanderings, finally made a permanent settlement on 
the Yadkin River. The parents of the subject of this 
sketch were Jonathan and Hannah Jones, and he was 
born September 4. 1836. Here the boy, in whose veins 
ran Scotch-Irish blood, spent his youthful years. When 
he had completed his education he went, as a young man, 
to teach school in Tennessee. This work was interrupted 
by the death of his father, which called him home. The 
Civil War having broken out, he became a missionary of 
the Yadkin Association, among the soldiers in eastern 
North Carolina. Before this time he had been baptized 
by Rev. C. W. Bessant and ordained to the gospel 
ministry by a presbytery consisting of Rev. G. W. Brown 
and Rev. Isaac Davis. In the meetings which he con- 
ducted in camps near Kinston, Goldsboro, Washington, 
Edenton, and Tarboro, many soldiers were converted, 
not a few of them receiving baptism at his hands. At 
the close of the War he was appointed missionary of the 
Beulah Association, which included the counties of For- 
sythe, Stokes, Guilford, Rockingham, Caswell, Person, 
and a part of Granville. His efforts to establish mission 
points, that would grow into self-sustaining, strong 
churches, were highly successful. Prosperous churches 
to-day in Reidsville, Winston, and Greensboro, are 
monuments to his zeal and the blessing of God that 

314 



FRERRE HOUSTON JONES 315 

crowned his labors. Because of his executive ability and 
his gifts as a financier, disciplinarian, and organizer, his 
work was so fruitful. He won for himself the title of 
"The Church Builder." Mr. Jones was of medium size 
and some five feet nine inches tall. His hair was brown 
and his eyes hazel. His mouth was well shaped, and his 
expression and manner gentle and pleasing. 

In 1885 he became pastor of the Baptist Church at 
Chatham, Va. During his pastorate of twelve years in 
this attractive town the membership of his church grew 
from 80 to 144, and a new meeting-house, costing about 
$12,000, was built. His field, while he was in Chatham, 
embraced the two prosperous country churches, Mt. 
Hermon and Kentuck. During his service with them the 
Kentuck Church erected a commodious house of worship. 
Before his work in Virginia ended he had ministered also 
to these churches : Bannister, Marion, Sharon, Vandola, 
Union Hill, and Ringgold. His field in Virginia was in 
the Roanoke Association, of which body he was, for 
many years, moderator. In this general section he did 
much to develop the churches in benevolence and in the 
missionary spirit. Upon resigning at Chatham he moved 
to Reidsville, N. C. After a season given to recuperation 
he took up mission work in the Piedmont Association, 
and later became pastor of several country churches not 
far from Reidsville. He declined more than one position 
of prominence, glad to work on in an humble, quiet way. 
In the course of the years he was moderator of the 
Beulah and Piedmont Associations and an officer of the 
North Carolina Baptist State Convention. He was a 
great friend of young ministers. In many instances they 
passed their vacations in his home, doing work, which 
he had secured for them, that enabled them to return to 
college in the autumn. He died at Reidsville, N. C, 
December 1, 1911. The funeral was conducted by these 



316 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ministers : H. A. Brown, W. C. Tyree, J. B. Brewer, 
D. I. Craig, and W. F. Womble. His wife, to whom he 
was married on February 18, 1864, was Miss Emma 
Brown, of Person County, North Carolina, the daughter 
of Green W. Brown and Elizabeth Coleman, of Virginia. 
The children of this union who grew up are William 
Houston Jones, Mrs. C. G. Jones, Mrs. H. L. Morrison, 
Mrs. R. S. Williams, and Miss Minerva Louise Jones. 
His wife survives him. 

Rev. Wm. Hedley, now of Ashland, Va., writes thus 
of Mr. Jones in the Religious Herald: "It has been my 
privilege to visit many of these communities where 
Brother Jones labored, and in every place to have heard 
unstinted praise accorded to him for the faithfulness of 
his work and the purity of his character. These tributes 
were paid while he was yet alive. For a little over four 
years I had the honor of being his pastor. . . . His 
guileless life, his sweet spirit of cooperation, his kindly 
appreciation of one's ministry, his delightful conversa- 
tion on gospel themes, endeared him to my heart, and he 
crowned his excellencies with as pervasive a spirit of 
humility as was possessed by any man. For fifty years 
he had preached the gospel, and fully two thousand souls 
had he buried in baptism." 



S. H. THOMPSON 

1854-1912 

While his life, and later his ministry, began in North 
Carolina, the most fruitful years of Rev. S. H. Thomp- 
son's life were spent in Virginia. Here, for two decades, 
he gave himself to preaching, also having, a part of this 
time, the burden and the blessing of the teacher. He was 
born in Alamance County, April 28, 1854, and spent the 
days of his boyhood on his father's farm. On this farm 
his education, in the truest sense, began, for a country 
boy never gets over his country life. He studied in the 
academy conducted by the Rev. William Thompson at 
old Salem Church, and then passed, for further 
preparation, to the National Normal University at 
Lebanon, Ohio. Finally, at Franklin College, Franklin, 
Ind., he took both the B. A. and the M. A. degrees. To 
those who knew and heard him preach and speak in 
the years of his public ministry it seemed that he brought 
back the impress of the Middle West in his pronuncia- 
tion and in the tone of his voice. Deeper than accent 
and manner was the vim and determination of the man, 
and if from these marks one did not soon guess his 
Scotch-Irish blood, he was apt, before long, to claim and 
glory in such extraction. At the age of seventeen he 
was converted, and, having led an earnest Christian life, 
was, in June, 1879, ordained to the gospel ministry. The 
year before, on July 18, he was married to Miss Tabitha 
Schan. 

His ministry in Virginia began, and continued for 
some ten years, in the Dan River Association. During 
this period he was pastor, first of Black Walnut, South 

317 



318 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Boston, and Scottsburg Churches, and later of a field 
composed of the Scottsburg and Catawba Churches. It 
was during this time that he gave part of his strength to 
teaching. While pastor at South Boston he cordially 
cooperated with Rev. John R. Moffett in his work for 
the great cause of temperance. At a crisis in the history 
of the Anti-Liquor, a paper which Moffett had estab- 
lished, Mr. Thompson came to the rescue and assumed 
one-half of the financial burden, taking also a good share 
of the editorial work. From this Halifax County field 
Mr. Thompson went, in 1900, to Farmville, Va., to 
become pastor of the Baptist Church of that town. Here 
he remained till 1904, being an effective leader in his 
District Association (the Appomattox), as well as a 
faithful pastor. From 1904 until 1910 he was pastor 
of the First Church, Bluefield, W. Va., and in these 
years, under his leadership, a handsome meeting-house 
was built. From the crest of the Alleghanies he moved 
to Lake City, Fla., where he was pastor of the church 
and a teacher in the college. It was here that the painful 
illness began that terminated in his death, at Richmond, 
Thursday, January 25, 1912. One who had known him 
for years, and who saw him in these months of great 
physical suffering, says that his faith, instead of waver- 
ing, seemed to grow stronger because of this awful trial. 
At last the end of his agony came : the funeral took 
place at Farmville, the remains and the widow and two 
daughters being accompanied on this sad journey from 
Richmond bv Rev. R. D. Garland. 



HENRY WISE TRIBBLE 
1862-1912 

On the campus of Columbia College, Lake City, Fla., 
is the grave of Henry Wise Tribble, who, at the time of 
his death, was the president of this college. His death 
was tragic. He was returning from the Baptist Florida 
Convention at Ocala, where the college had received a 
"launching gift" of $27,000 towards its endowment. 
Between Cummings, on the man line of the railroad, and 
Rodman, where he was preaching, in connection with his 
college work, twice a month, an accident occurred which 
resulted in his death. Cummings and Rodman are con- 
nected by a sawmill road. "Over that road a log train 
is operated, and passengers are taken in an auto truck 
which uses the same track. It was night, and the log- 
train had gone ahead ; Dr. Tribble and two other passen- 
gers were following. They had no lights, and the train 
had stopped when the auto crushed into it. The collision 
might not have been serious had not a log protruded from 
the rear car; that jammed through the truck, catching 
and crushing Dr. Tribble's leg. It passed on through and 
crushed the leg of a negro passenger sitting in the rear. 
The injuries of the negro are said to have been worse 
than those of Dr. Tribble, and he is recovering without 
amputation." Thus Dr. C. W. Duke described, in a 
letter to the Religious Herald, this accident. He was 
lovingly cared for in the home of Henry S. Cummings, 
a sawmill man and an earnest Christian ; but on Tuesday, 
February 6, 1912, with the coming of the dawn, his 
spirit passed to God. On Thursday, February 8, the 
fifty-first anniversary of his birth, his funeral took place, 

319 



320 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Rev. Dr. L. B. Warren, who conducted the service, being 
assisted bv Rev. Dr. A. J. Holt, Rev. Dr. S. B. Rogers, 
Rev. Dr. C. W. Duke, and Mr. Will D. Upshaw. Thus, 
in the full flush of a vigorous manhood and an active 
ministry, there came what seems, from the merely human 
standpoint, an untimely end to this useful life, but God 
has his "mysteries of grace." Dr. Tribble had not been 
long in Florida, scarcely long enough to learn that one 
can not move with the vim, in such a relaxing climate, as 
is possible in the bracing air of Piedmont Virginia. At 
the Jacksonville Convention, in May, 1911, he was the 
picture of health, weighing not less than 180 pounds, 
and, as he expressed his concern for his fellow-minister. 
Rev. S. H. Thompson, who was extremely ill, no human 
eye could foresee that their deaths would be separated 
by only a few days. 

Vigorous in body, Dr. Tribble was likewise vigorous 
in mind. In him these two assets for success seemed to 
go together. He was a good sleeper, and usually had a 
good appetite. He had a good supply of rich red blood. 
What with his fine bodily presence and his fearless 
spirit he was a most manly man. In his early ministry 
a burly fellow took some exception to a rebuke he had 
uttered in the pulpit, and at the close of the service made 
show of fight. Tribble's invitation to come around back 
of the church, if he wanted to have it out, ended the mat- 
ter. Dr. Tribble was a leader rather than a follower. 
He did his own thinking, came to his own conclusions, 
and could give his reasons for his views. In his Rich- 
mond College student days, at the end of the session of 
1883-84, when he won his B. A. degree, he also took the 
Frances Gwin Philosophy medal. This victory gave 
evidence of the caliber of his mind and proved a prophecy 
of his mental grasp of the problems of life. His mind 
was quick, and he was practical rather than visionary in 



HEXRY WISE TRIBBLE 321 

the way he approached the tasks of the daily round. 
Dr. Duke, in the letter to the Herald mentioned above, 
tells how, when he, in his days at Richmond College, was 
ill with typhoid fever, four students, Tribble being the 
foremost, watched by his bedside at night to relieve the 
anxious and weary parents. 

Caroline County was his birthplace, and here, on June 
15, 1885, at Carmel Church, he was ordained to the 
gospel ministry. Before his course at the Southern Bap- 
tist Theological Seminary, Louisville, was completed, he 
had given a year of service as pastor of the Liberty and 
Hebron Churches, Appomattox County, Virginia. Upon 
his graduation at Louisville he became pastor at Jackson, 
Tenn. In this university town he remained, doing excel- 
lent service, until 1895, when he became pastor of the 
First Baptist Church of Charlottesville. Here he was to 
do the main work of his life. After five years at the 
First Church, on October 4, 1900, under his leadership, 
the High Street Baptist Church was organized, he 
becoming its pastor. In eight years, having set out with 
a membership of 50, High Street came to be a company 
of 325 members, with a good meeting-house properly 
equipped and paid for. Three years before the organiza- 
tion of the High Street Church, Dr. Tribble had taken 
upon his shoulders the additional burden of the presi- 
dency of the Rawlings Institute. He kept the school full 
from year to year, gathered around him an able faculty, 
and was untiring in his efforts to set upon a sure financial 
foundation this institution for the education of young 
women. 

As a preacher Dr. Tribble was in the front rank. Dur- 
ing his life in Charlottesville he kept in close touch with 
the University of Virginia, and often preached in the 
University Chapel. While this pulpit is filled from Sun- 
day to Sunday by distinguished ministers from all parts 



322 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

of the land and of all denominations, Dr. Tribble was 
regarded by the University community as fully equal, in 
pulpit ability, to the distinguished divines who came to 
them from a distance. As a preacher, his method of 
developing a theme was natural, interesting, incisive. 
His style was clear. His illustrations were apt. His 
sermons were short ; indeed, it was said, half playfully, 
perhaps, that he was given the degree of Doctor of 
Divinity because he preached so well and yet preached 
only twenty minutes. In the social circle he was genial 
and entertaining, able to tell a good story and ready to 
join in the laughter that marks the moment of lighter 
vein. He was a delightful and helpful companion. He 
was highly esteemed by the denomination, being a leader 
in the work in the State and the South. He was for 
some .years a trustee of the Southern Baptist Theological 
Seminary, and in this position bore an important part in 
the solution of difficult problems in the life of this school 
of the prophets. In 1905 he was one of the vice- 
presidents of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. 
In 1888 he was married to Miss Belle Estelle Rawlings, 
of Augusta County, Virginia, who, with six children, 
survived him. 

Besides the services held in Florida, in memory of this 
man of God, on the Sunday morning after his death, at 
the High Street Church, Charlottesville, Rev. Dr. H. W. 
Battle, the pastor, delivered a memorial sermon based on 
the words : "And Enoch walked with God, and he was 
not, for God took him." The auditorium was appropri- 
ately draped, a large congregation was present, and a 
paper, prepared by the pastor and deacons, setting forth 
briefly the character and work of Dr. Tribble, was 
adopted. At 3 p. m. of the same day another service was 
held in the First Baptist Church, when the pastors and 
mayor of Charlottesville paid tributes to his memory. 



ALBERT D. REYNOLDS 

1844-1912 

The Northern Neck of Virginia was the birthplace and 
the life arena of Albert D. Reynolds. In Westmoreland 
County he first saw the light, his parents being humble 
but godly people. Since his early days were spent in the 
open air, at work on a farm, and the years of his budding 
manhood, amidst the hardships of war and the stirring 
experiences of a soldier in the cavalry, he came to the 
real work of his life, seasoned and hardened. This may, 
in some degree, have compensated for his failure to 
secure the regular training of the schools. He doubtless 
had, by nature, the power of making himself at home 
with all sorts and conditions of men, but it is to be sup- 
posed that his life in the army developed this aptitude. 
For service in the Confederate Army he enlisted in 
Company D, 9th Virginia Cavalry, a most dashing and 
daring command. It may have been that a love for a 
horse led him to join the cavalry. If so, this taste must 
have grown during the four years of fighting, for it is 
certain that one of the marks of his after-life was "a 
fondness for a stylish and well-groomed horse." 

Early in life he became a professing Christian, uniting 
with Nomini Church. Here he found opportunity to 
speak in public and to lead in prayer, and here his faith- 
fulness and ability were in due season recognized, and he 
was made a deacon, Rev. M. F. Sanford being elected 
to this office at the same time. Once again his mother- 
church recognized his gifts and called for his ordination 
to the gospel ministry. In the month of December, at 
Coan Church, Northumberland County, he was set apart 

323 



324 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

for this work. He was pastor first of Bethany and 
Providence (Northumberland County) Churches. On, 
until within a few weeks of his death, he labored continu- 
ously as a Baptist pastor. Before his ministry closed, 
besides those already named, he had served, in several 
cases for twelve or thirteen years, these churches : 
Totuskey, Pope's Creek, Oak Grove, Rappahannock, 
Carrotoman, Montague's, and Welcome Grove, all in the 
Rappahannock Association. ''His official connections 
thus held with these churches in five counties exceeded in 
number those of any other minister who has yet labored 
in the Northern Neck, and brought him into personal 
touch with more families and individuals dwelling in that 
region. It came to be true that in the long round of his 
travels in visiting his congregations he could, with rare 
exception, recognize and familiarly greet every resident 
face that he met. If there be many preachers whose 
search is for books and who read commentaries, he 
sought his fellow-men and studied human characters." 

What has already been said about his lack of educa- 
tional training and about his love for men and the study 
of mankind throws light on his power and limitations 
as a preacher. "In preaching he was better able to break 
the hearts of sinners than not to break the rules of gram- 
mar. Without the study of homiletics, without well- 
adjusted notes, with scantiest aid of pen or books, or 
general reading, his mind was yet quick, inventive, 
capable of strong reasoning, logical and argumentative, 
and withal ever ready to gather energy and force from 
its own action. A holy fire burned in his heart, and his 
appeals, no less in private than in public, were fearless, 
searching, direct, and strong, and many shining seals 
were added to his ministry." 

For several years before his death a diseased internal 
organ often caused him great pain. In the winter of 



ALBERT D. REYNOLDS 325 

1912 he was taken to Baltimore in the hope that a 
surgical operation might bring him renewed strength and 
relief from pain. Travel between his home and Balti- 
more is only by water. A spell of severely cold weather 
closed this means of communication just at the time 
when he needed in the hospital the sight of loving faces 
and the touch of loved ones' hands. Alone he walked 
the path that leads to the river of death, and yet surely he 
was not alone, for to him was the promise : "When thou 
passest through the waters I will be with thee." In his 
sixty-eighth year, on February 12, 1912, he departed 
this life. His second wife and three daughters survived 
him. She, and her sister, who was his first wife, were 
both daughters of Rev. James Weaver, a Baptist 
preacher. The quotations in this sketch are from an 
article by the Rev. Dr. George W. Beale, from which 
article, and from the obituary in the Minutes of the Gen- 
eral Association by Rev. E. L. Hardcastle, many of these 
facts have been taken. 



ALBERT GRANT HASH 

1876-1912 

One of the many mysteries of God's providence that 
we do not understand is why young men, full of promise, 
and busy in successful work for God and humanity, are 
cut off. Such a life was that of Albert Grant Hash. He 
was born among the mountains of Virginia, and died a 
pastor in one of the towns of Georgia. Before he had 
rounded out four decades he was called away. Not long 
after his birth, which took place in Grayson County, 
March 14, 1876, he was deprived, by death, of the com- 
fort and blessing of a mother's love. He was the son 
of Abram and Rebekah Hash, and had three brothers, 
one sister, one half-brother, and one half-sister. His 
boyhood days were spent on the farm, helping his father. 
The mountain school which he attended in these early 
years brought him into touch with a teacher, Miss Sarah 
La Rue, who, a few years later, was in charge of the 
academy at Pearisburg. When he was eighteen years 
old he left his home and went to this academy, drawn 
hither, as it seems, by his old teacher. For the next three 
years he studied in the winter, and during the summer 
was himself a teacher. At the age of sixteen he made 
a profession of religion and united with the Pine Branch 
Church, and while at Pearisburg he felt called to preach 
the gospel. In 1897 he was licensed by his home church, 
and on July 17, 1898, the same body ordained him, the 
presbytery being composed of these preachers : Rev. J. F. 
Fletcher, Rev. J. S. Murray, and Rev. A. S. Murray. At 
once, after this event, he set out for Alabama to prepare 
to enter Howard College. He entered this institution 

326 



ALBERT GRANT HASH 327 

and pursued his studies for two years, being pastor, at 
the same time, of neighboring churches. He suffered an 
attack of typhoid fever, in the summer of 1900, which 
was almost fatal, and the effects of which he never fully 
overcame. He was, because of this illness, unable to 
complete his college course, and for four or five years 
could do little work of any kind. One who knew him well 
says that "during these years of waiting he was learning 
the lessons of simple faith and patience that ever charac- 
terized his remaining years. His bodily weakness, to 
him, was an open door into God's presence and power." 
He became pastor of the Fort Gaines Baptist Church in 
January, 1905, a position that he was to hold for seven 
years and until his death, which took place March 4, 1912. 
He soon gained the esteem, not only of the church, but 
of the whole community. When, in the fall of this same 
year, he was obliged to go to Johns Hopkins Hospital, 
Baltimore, for treatment, his church bore the expenses 
of this trip. With renewed strength, for the years that 
followed he gave himself unstintingly to his church and 
to the community, thus binding more closely to him his 
people and the town. On April 17, 1907, he was married 
to Miss Leola Paullin, the youngest daughter of Mr. J. E. 
Paullin, one of the deacons of the church. Hand in hand 
this husband and wife worked for God till His summons 
came. March 4, 1912, he passed from earth. The 
church adopted resolutions expressing their admiration 
for him and their sorrow at his death. The Christian 
Index, in noticing his departure, printed an excellent: 
picture of him, a picture suggestive at once of gentleness,, 
strength of character, and piety. His wife and a little 



WALTER RHODES 
1872(?)-1912 

The ministerial work, in Virginia, of Rev. Walter 
Rhodes, a native of Baltimore, Md., and a descendant 
of Zachariah Rhodes (who landed in this country with 
Roger Williams), was done on the Eastern Shore. His 
first pastorate there was from 1899 to 1903, his churches 
being Atlantic, Chincoteague, Reamy Memorial, and 
Modest Town. His second pastorate in this section, at 
the Onancock Church, began in 1909, and was broken by 
the hand of death. Between these two seasons on the 
Eastern Shore came his service in Baltimore, where he 
was pastor of the Second Baptist Church until October 
24, 1908. During his first sojourn in Accomac County 
he published a newspaper devoted to the interests of the 
Baptist cause on the Eastern Shore. Not only in his 
Virginia fields, but also in Baltimore, he labored earnestly 
and well. In Baltimore his "zeal and progressiveness 
were marked, and he gained an honorable place in the 
Conference of the Baptist Ministers and the Maryland 
Association." Under his leadership the Second Church 
built its present handsome structure on the corner of 
Luzerne and Orleans streets. At Onancock he was 
''popular and beloved, though he pursued his work 
under the strain, often, of serious physical debility." 
Before the end of his life and labors came he was called 
on to pass through a long and terrible ordeal of pain. It 
is not for us to sit in judgment concerning his death, 
which was caused by a wound inflicted by his own hand, 
but we may well give our sighs and pity at the thought 
of his sufferings and anguish. His death occurred at 
the Caswell Hotel, Baltimore. 

328 



WALTER RHODES 329 

At Louisville, where he studied, he proved himself 
diligent and successful, and he carried through life care- 
ful habits as to his sermon preparation and other work. 
Before going to Louisville he had been in the accounting 
department of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway, where he 
gained a good knowledge of business life. He was "a 
clear, systematic, vigorous, and effective preacher, and 
possessed high evangelistic gifts. Many weak and wan- 
dering souls were reclaimed and many rejoicing converts 
were led to Christ through his persuasive and convincing 
appeals. As a close and devout student of God's word, 
and a clear, fresh, accurate, and discriminating 
expounder of it, few men of his age surpassed him. His 
book of observations and reflections, while not of sus- 
tained and equal merit throughout, has many pages in it 
that do him honor, and has commanded high commenda- 
tion from an eminent critic in England. While living in 
Baltimore he wrote a series of articles which appeared in 
the Sun and which attracted much attention in religious 
circles." He was married to Miss Mary Evelyn Hard- 
wick, a daughter of Mr. Alvin Hardwick, of Westmore- 
land County. She and a son and daughter survived him. 
On the Sunday before his death he preached an unusually 
strong sermon from the words : "Things which eye saw 
not and ear heard not and which entered not into the 
heart of man, whatsoever things God prepared for them 
that love him." I Cor. 2:9. At the funeral Rev. Dr. 
H. A. Griesemer, who conducted the service, based his 
remarks on this verse. Mr. Rhodes passed away Tues- 
day, March 5, 1912, in the forty-first year of his life. 
Rev. L. M. Ritter, the present pastor of the Onancock 
Church, says of Mr. Rhodes : "The people here tell me 
he was a very strong preacher." Mr. Rhodes was a 
Roval Arch Mason. 



JAMES E. JONES 

1841-1912 

At the close of one of the services of the Baptist 
General Association of Virginia, in Petersburg, Novem- 
ber, 1904, one of the younger pastors, Rev. W. Thorburn 
Clark, who was about to go to the pastorate of Beaver 
Dam, one of the churches of the Portsmouth Association, 
felt a touch upon his shoulder. He turned and looked, 
for the first time, into the face of Rev. James E. Jones. 
The older pastor had sought the younger one to welcome 
him to his new field, for their churches were near each 
other. This little but gracious act showed the character 
of the man, who, before his death came, had been pastor, 
for a long period, of four churches in his Association. 
These churches were South Quay, Sycamore, Holland's 
Corner, and Jerusalem. Two of these bodies, Holland's 
Corner and Sycamore, organized by him in 1880 and 
1878, had him as their pastor for some thirty and thirty- 
three years. His ministry at South Quay reached 
through about twenty-seven years, having begun in 1885. 
His service at Jerusalem ran from 1880 to 1904. South 
Quay was the church of his childhood, and it was here, 
after his student days at Richmond College and the Uni- 
versity were over, that he was ordained to the ministry. 
His retirement from the pastorate of the South Quay 
Church a short time before his death, on account of 
declining health, led to the adoption, by the church, of 
resolutions expressing their devotion to him. These 
resolutions declared that their retiring pastor left monu- 
ments to his usefulness in South Quay, Jerusalem, Syca- 
more, and Holland's Corner, the two last-named points 

330 



JAMES E. JONES 331 

having come, under his guidance, from bush-arbor 
appointments to strong and influential churches. The 
resolutions spoke of him as eloquent in the pulpit, gifted 
in prayer, kind and sympathetic in pastoral labors, one 
who bound his people to him by love. 

On Monday, April 1, 1912, about seven in the even- 
ing, at his home near South Quay, Nansemond County, 
in the seventy-second year of his age, after a week's ill- 
ness, he passed from the scenes of earth to his heavenly 
reward. The funeral took place the following Wednes- 
day afternoon at South Quay Church, being conducted 
by Rev. J. L. McCutcheon, of Franklin, who was 
assisted by several pastors of other denominations. The 
body was laid to rest beside that of his wife, who pre- 
ceded him to the grave some twenty years. His brother 
and sister, Mr. Mack Jones and Mrs. Gary Beale, survive 
him, and also seven of his children, namely: Mrs. Hugh 
Lawrence, Mr. J. Paul Jones, Mrs. Randall Rawls, 
Mrs. Percy Vaughan, Mr. Philip Jones, Mr. William 
Jones, and Mrs. J. M. Robertson. 



JOHN ROBERT WILKINSON 
1842-1912 

Not many miles from Richmond City is Dover Mines, 
Goochland County. At this place John Robert Wilkin- 
son was born June 21, 1842, his parents being Hezekiah 
and Mary Ford Wilkinson. From the best primary 
schools of his native county he passed to the Huguenot 
High School, hoping next to go to Washington College, 
now Washington and Lee University, but in this his 
hopes were shattered by the War. From March, 1862, 
when he enlisted, until the end of the conflict, he 
remained in the ranks. After the surrender, having 
taken up farming, on August 24, 1865, at Goochland 
(Nuckols') Church, under the preaching of Rev. A. E. 
Dickinson, he professed faith in Christ and was baptized 
into the fellowship of Dover Church by Rev. A. B. 
Smith. Before long he was licensed to preach, but it was 
not until after his removal from Powhatan and until four 
years after his marriage, on January 19, 1870, to Miss 
Adah Winfree, a daughter of Rev. Dr. D. B. Winfree, 
that he decided to give himself to the gospel ministry. 
Jerusalem Church, Chesterfield County, where he was 
ordained, November 29, 1874, the presbytery consisting 
of the ministers D. B. Winfree, W. S. Bland, J. R. 
Bagby, R. W. Cridlin, and L. W. Moore, was his first 
charge. His work as a preacher was, in the main, with 
churches, first in the Middle District, and then in the 
Dover, Association. On July 4, 1903, he organized, in 
Louisa County, the Mineral Church, and in November, 
1906, he dedicated the imposing meeting-house that this 
congregation, under his leadership, had erected. This 

332 



JOHN ROBERT WILKINSON 333 

church, which at its organization had twenty-one mem- 
bers, reports now an enrollment of one hundred and fifty- 
seven. During the whole course of his ministry he 
served, besides those already named, the following 
churches : Skinquarter, Tomahawk, Berea, Hopeful, 
Mt. Olivet, Ashland, Winns, Mt. Gilead, Branch's, 
Arbor, and Deep Run. 

After a long and painful illness, on April 9, 1912, he 
passed away. The funeral was conducted by Rev. Dr. 
J. B. Hutson, who was assisted by other ministers, and 
the body was laid to rest near the Mineral Church. His 
second wife, who was, before her marriage, Miss Emily 
F. Bowles, of Hanover County, and three children sur- 
vive him. Rev. T. A. ' Hall, in his obituary in the 
Minutes of the General Association, says of him : "There 
was a bewitching charm about his striking personality 
that won all persons with whom he came in contact. 
. . . An ingenuous suavity of spirit, a whole-hearted 
friendship, a stainless life, and a spotless character, com- 
bined with signal spiritual vivacity, great love for Jesus 
Christ and for lost souls, together with lofty purposes 
in living and in doing, constituted the prominent charac- 
teristics of his noble life and his exalted attainments." 



PATRICK THOMAS WARREN 
1839-1912 

On the walls of the Onancock Baptist Church are tab- 
lets to the memory of Rev. Patrick Warren and his wife, 
Elizabeth Ann Scott Warren. One of the children of 
this pious couple was Rev. Patrick T. Warren. In him 
the name Patrick had come down to the third generation, 
for his grandfather, a godly Baptist deacon, had borne 
this name. On November 4, 1839, in Northampton 
County, Patrick Warren III, as he might well be called, 
first saw the light. Through the private schools and by 
the help of his uncle, Mr. Lewis Warren, he was prepared 
for his college work, which was done at William and 
Mary and Richmond College. In 1861, at the Onancock 
Baptist Church, he was ordained, the presbytery being 
composed of Elders Patrick Warren, George Bradford, 
and S. C. Boston. This young man, the same year as 
his ordination, served as a supply for the Lower North- 
ampton Church, and, in 1862, became her pastor. This 
good man's ministry, which began thus in Virginia, and 
was to come to its close on the soil of the Old Dominion, 
gave many of its years to work in other States. In these 
years away from Virginia he was pastor at Salisbury, 
Cumberland, Longwood, and twice at Vienna, all in 
Maryland; at Mobile and Eufaula, Alabama; and at 
Watsontown, Pennsylvania. In 1885 he was once more 
back in his native State, his field at this time lying in the 
territory of the Portsmouth and Concord Associations; 
during these years he ministered to the Fountain's Creek, 
James' Square, Hicksford, and Zion Churches. From 
1890 to 1897 he was pastor at Williamsburg, Va. Upon 

334 



PATRICK THOMAS WARREN 335 

leaving Williamsburg he moved to Pamplin City, which 
was his home until the end of his life. During a part of 
this period he was pastor of these churches, in the James 
River and Appomattox Associations : Liberty Chapel, 
New Hope, Mathews, and Rocks. He was deeply inter- 
ested, not only in the life of his own churches, but in the 
prosperity and growth of all the churches of his Associa- 
tions. He was moderator of the Appomattox Associa- 
tion and the preacher of the sermon when this body cele- 
brated its centennial. During his life in Appomattox a 
Pastors' Conference was organized, and he was made its 
president. For some years before the end of his life he 
gave up active pastoral work, but up to the close of 1911 
he continued to respond to all requests for occasional or 
supply sermons, whether they came from Baptists or 
from other denominations. A few weeks before his 
death he was paralyzed, and this event making him 
realize that death was near at hand, he "set his house in 
order," even giving directions for his burial. At ten 
o'clock Friday morning, May 31, 1912, surrounded by 
his family, he passed away. His body was laid to rest 
in the cemetery of the Liberty Baptist Church, Appo- 
mattox, the services being conducted by Rev. C. R. 
Norris, Rev. Dr. H. C. Smith, and Rev. Dr. W. J. Ship- 
man. The wife, whose married life had extended over 
some forty-four years, and who, before her marriage, 
was Miss Mary A. Price (daughter of Dr. William R. 
and Susan Denmead Price), of Baltimore County, Mary- 
land, survived her husband, with her three daughters, 
Mary Houston, Hannah Denmead, and Odelle Austin 
(Mrs. Milledge L. Bonham), and one son, Luther Rice 
Warren. 

Patrick Thomas Warren was a man remarkable for his 
courtesy, for his systematic habits, for his painstaking 
care as to little things. He was always scrupulously neat 



336 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

in his dress and person, and his horse and buggy showed 
that almost equal thought had been bestowed upon them. 
A poorly groomed horse, or a buggy not clean and well 
cared for, would have vexed him no little. In the keep- 
ing of his books and papers and his house and lot, a 
similar interest was manifested; it was his pride to show 
his friends his fine tomatoes, held up by proper frames, 
and the other good things in his garden. Not only in 
things that concerned himself, but as well in what 
touched the lives of others, was he interested to see that 
the little points were watched. Life is made up of little 
things, but life is no little thing. Concerning his real 
piety and conscientious devotion to duty there is no need 
that words be spoken, for on that matter the whole of 
his useful life throws clear light. 



THOMAS HUME, JR. 
1836-1912 

In 1806 Rev. Thomas Hume, of Edinburgh, Scotland, 
came to Virginia to represent the Scotch heirs of Rev. 
Robert Dickson, his uncle. A little later his brother, 
Rev. William Hume, followed him to Virginia. The 
Hon. Hugh Blair Grigsby bore testimony to the scholarly 
ability of the two brothers, declaring that William Hume 
was the "finest Grecian he had known." By reason of 
the "law's delay," Thomas was detained some time in 
Virginia, and finally married and settled in Smithfield, 
Isle of Wight County. Here his only child, Thomas, was 
born, March 16, 1812. This second Thomas, known 
among Virginia Baptists as Dr. Thomas Hume, Senior, 
married, in 1835, Miss Mary Anne Gregory, a member 
of an old and honored family, and a teacher in the 
Trinity Episcopal Sunday School of Portsmouth. Of 
the eight children of this union the oldest was named 
Thomas. This third Thomas Hume is known as Dr. 
Thomas Hume, Junior. He was born, at his father's 
home in Portsmouth, Va., October 21, 1836. For a full 
story of the life of Dr. Thomas Hume, Senior, the reader 
is referred to the "Lives of Virginia Baptist Ministers," 
Third Series, where the son pays a beautiful and deserved 
tribute to his honored father. Suffice it here to say that 
Dr. Thomas Hume, Senior, besides being for many 
years the distinguished pastor of the Court Street Bap- 
tist Church of Portsmouth, was one of the leading 
citizens of that city, where he was able, not only to care 
for the interests of his own flock, but also to be president 
of an insurance company, County Superintendent of 
Education, president of a Provident Society, and con- 

337 



338 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

suiting director of the Seaboard Railroad. Nor was 
his influence limited by the Elizabeth River, for he was 
at one time pastor in Norfolk. And his leadership 
reached out to the work of the denomination in the 
State. In this home, with its pious and literary atmos- 
phere and traditions, the subject of this sketch was born. 
After studying at the Virginia Collegiate Institute, of 
Portsmouth, he entered Richmond College at the age of 
fifteen, and graduated there, with the degree of Bachelor 
of Arts, in 1855, the other members of the class being 
Peter W. Ferrell, Halifax, Va., and Wm. S. Ryland, 
Richmond, Va. From Richmond College he went to the 
University of Virginia, where he remained three years 
and took a number of the "school" diplomas. Through 
the pen of Rev. Dr. John L. Johnson we see Mr. Hume 
as he was in the fall of 1856, when he entered the Uni- 
versity, and when he and Dr. Johnson met for the first 
time. Dr. Johnson says : "In person he was of small 
stature, of less than average height, and very delicately 
made. Slightly curling auburn hair fell upon his 
shoulders ; a massive brow, broad and deep, under which 
gray-blue eyes shone with unusual brightness, gave to his 
full face a wedge-like contour ; and over all was a lurk- 
ing humorous cast, which, even in pensive moods, made 
his expression interesting and magnetic. Poor health 
was his misfortune; chronic indigestion was his mortal 
foe. Days at a time he lay in bed, racked with pain, and 
smilingly receiving the loving ministry of his fellow- 
students. An ardent Christian, in spite of this physical 
weakness, he was to be found habitually at his church, 
Sunday school and preaching services, and in the Sun- 
day afternoon prayer-meeting of the students." He 
belonged to that interesting group of students in which 
number were H. H. Harris, J. William Jones, J. C. 
Hiden, L. J. Haley, James B. Taylor, Jr., and John L. 



THOMAS HUME. JR. 339 

Johnson, and with some of them he formed a happy bond 
between Richmond College and the University of Vir- 
ginia. The first college Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion in the world was organized at the University of 
Virginia, and Mr. Hume was its first secretary and its 
second president. He was also one of the magazine 
editors. 

Scarcely had Mr. Hume entered upon his work as 
Professor of Latin and English in the Chesapeake Col- 
lege, Hampton, Va. (an institution which had been 
rescued a few years before, by Mr. Hume's father, from 
purchase by the Catholics), when the War called him 
from the teacher's chair to the camp and the line of 
march. He had already felt the call to preach, and now 
he became chaplain of the Third Regiment Virginia 
Infantry. Later he was made post chaplain at Peters- 
burg, where he remained as official chaplain of the Con- 
federate Hospitals during the siege of the city and until 
the surrender at Appomattox. On June 5, 1865, at the 
close of the session of the Baptist General Association 
of Virginia, at the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., 
he was ordained to the gospel ministry. On this occasion 
the sermon was preached by J. B. Jeter, the ordaining 
prayer made by Wm. F. Broaddus, the charge delivered 
by J. L. Burrows, the hand of fellowship given by 
J. William Jones, and the Bible presented by Geo. B. 
Taylor. For the score of years that followed this event, 
Mr. Flume gave himself to teaching and to preaching, 
a part of this period both of these lines of service receiv- 
ing at the same time his thought. For a short season he 
supplied the pulpit of the First Church, Petersburg, and 
then became Principal of the Petersburg Classical Insti- 
tute, giving his Sabbaths to country churches in Sussex 
and Chesterfield Counties. On June 29, 1867, in company 
with Dr. William D. Thomas, Dr. J. W. M. Williams, 



340 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Dr. G. W. Samson, Dr. J. L. M. Curry and bride, and 
others, he sailed from New York for a trip to Europe. 
His next work was in Danville, where he was Principal 
of the Roanoke Female College, and for two years pastor 
of the First Baptist Church. It was only after long con- 
sideration that he decided to turn from his teaching to 
take charge of this church, but when the question was 
settled "he became at once a busy pastor, looking system- 
atically after the membership of the church and making 
most careful preparations for the pulpit. He was indeed 
a fine preacher ; language simple and chaste, thought 
strong and penetrating, illustrated richly from the broad 
fields of his reading; voice clear and incisive, face aglow 
with the passion of the hour, made him a speaker good 
to listen to and easy to learn from." In 1874 his father's 
death called him back to his old home, and he was invited 
to succeed his father in the pastorate of the Cumberland 
Street (later known as the First) Baptist Church, of 
Norfolk. This position he held till 1878, when he 
became Professor of Latin and English in the Norfolk 
College. In the same year he was married to Miss Annie 
Louise Whitescarver, a daughter of Rev. W. A. Whites- 
carver, and remarkable for her beauty of person and 
face. In June, 1881, Dr. Hume was the Richmond Col- 
lege Alumni Poet. While a broken-down engine pre- 
vented his being present to read his poem alumni night, 
he did read it on the Wednesday night of the Commence- 
ment. The poem, the subject of which was "Walking 
With God," instituted a comparison between Enoch and 
Dr. J. B. Jeter. 

In 1885 Dr. Hume became Professor of English 
Language and Literature in the University of North 
Carolina. He filled this chair for twenty-two years, and 
in this capacity probably did the best work of his life. 
It is certain that he was most highly fitted to be a teacher, 



THOMAS HUME, JR. 341 

yet he had elements that go to the making of the success- 
ful pastor. If a warm, genial heart and an intense 
human interest in people gave him power in the class- 
room, surely this same marked factor in his character 
would have become, in the sphere of the church, the 
"shepherd heart." He threw into his work as a teacher 
a zeal and enthusiasm and love that quickened in his 
students a kindred fire and a spirit of painstaking work. 
His appreciation of the true and the beautiful in litera- 
ture was at once keen and accurate. He seemed to know 
almost as if by instinct what was really fine in prose and 
poetry, and those who followed his taste and leadership 
were sure to drink of the purest waters. Letters from 
many of his old students' record his patient and kindly 
work with them, not only in their studies, but in the prob- 
lems of their personal and religious life. At his death, 
one of these students wrote of him, in a Southern paper: 

"Many old students are anxious to testify that he 
opened up to them vistas of things undreamed of before; 
that he helped them on in paths that have been so pleasant 
and so inspiring in after-life; that he interpreted the 
vision of the 'light that never was on sea or land' so 
that it has illumined many a dark hour; that he lifted 
them up and introduced them to the masters, who have 
inspired, cheered, and comforted, oh ! so many hours 
since ; that his outlines of the Great Plan are coming out 
largely as he sought to make plain to young, mobile, and 
impressionable minds; that he was nobly unselfish 
through it all, and their appreciation is unstinted." 

Mr. E. K. Graham, formerly Professor of English, 
now President of the University of North Carolina, 
writing of his work, on his retirement, said, in part: 

"When Dr. Hume came to the University, conditions 
surrounding teaching in the State were not so favorable 



342 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

as they are now. They were especially unfavorable to 
the teaching of English Literature. ... In the face 
of the difficulties which confront every teacher of the 
aesthetic, and the peculiar difficulties that confronted him, 
Dr. Hume wrought at his task of teaching the master- 
pieces of literature with the zeal of a prophet. Litera- 
ture (whenever he wrote the word he capitalized it) was 
to him not a chance profession; it was a religious faith. 
The beauty he found there was not the sentimentalism of 
a cult : it was the gift of God, coequal with truth and 
goodness — the heavenly light that was the consecration 
of the monotonous struggle to get on. . . . During 
most of the years in which he served the State, Dr. 
Hume, in his field, worked almost alone — alone, in what 
was by all odds the largest department in the University. 
He placed but one limit on the number of courses he 
taught, and that was the number of hours in the day. 
Day and night he gave himself to active instruction. In 
addition, he organized Shakespeare clubs out in the 
State, lectured in summer schools, preached in churches ; 
in fact, put no reserve whatever upon his time or 
strength. It was a matter of everyday wonder how so 
frail a man had the burden-bearing power of a superman. 
But here was the simple secret : to him it was not a 
burden, but a joy. It gave him the chance to teach! 

"Besides the influence that Dr. Hume exerted on all 
his students, on the thousands of people with whom he 
came in contact in his extension work and through his 
preaching, he made other leaders of sweetness and light 
in whose work his influence is especially obvious. Many 
successful teachers — themselves makers of teachers — 
many successful preachers and lawyers, have added a 
grace to their lives that was kindled at the torch he bore. 
He was never a writer of books, but he was a maker of 
writers of books. A half-dozen books come to my mind 



THOMAS HUME, JR. 343 

in which he was in this indirect way a joint author. 
. . . As a teacher of men it was given him to subdue 
the petty tyranny of time and space. Is it not possible 
to say simply and with certitude about such a teacher, 
that life gives to him her greatest gift; that even while 
he lives immortalitv becomes to him a visible, a realized 
fact ?" 

At Glen Falls, N. Y., and at Knoxville, Tenn., he gave 
courses at summer schools, while he delivered series of 
lectures on Shakespeare, Tennyson, and the Literary 
Study of the Bible before schools and clubs and Bible 
assemblies in various parts of Virginia and North Caro- 
lina. He published many articles and addresses, and 
during the last months of his life was at work on a book 
on the development of the English Bible. In 1907 he 
was made Emeritus Professor on the Carnegie Founda- 
tion, being the first educator in North Carolina to receive 
this appointment. 

Although he gave up regular preaching during this 
last twenty-odd years of his life, he did not give up his 
interest in his church. He was ever a most active and 
earnest member of the Chapel Hill Baptist Church, the 
right-hand man of his pastor, active in the Sunday 
school and the B. Y. P. U.. and Sunbeam Missionary 
Society, ever bearing on his heart and mind the welfare 
of the church and his pastor. One pastor writes thus : 
"It was my honor to be Dr. Hume's pastor for two years, 
when I had not been preaching long. The way he treated 
me, his young and inexperienced pastor, was character- 
istic of the man. He honored me as his pastor, and in 
scores of ways was courteous to me and considerate of 
my office, as well as of my comfort. He never forgot 
those little amenities which always help to tide over the 
rough places, especially when they mark the manner of a 
man, in distinguished place, towards one far less 



344 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

advanced in age and achievement. If he made sugges- 
tions as to sermon structure, or as to the work of the 
church, it was done with marvelous tact." His interest 
in religious work was not limited to the local church, 
nor to his own denomination. He was in touch with 
what was being done by North Carolina and Southern 
Baptists, and as Superintendent of the Y. M. C. A. work 
in the colleges and towns of North Carolina, as well as 
in other ways, he made himself felt throughout all the 
State. 

Towards the end he was a sufferer. On July 15, 1912, 
he passed away at his home in Chapel Hill. The funeral 
and burial were in Waynesboro, Va. His wife and three 
children, Thomas Hume, Annie Wilmer (now Mrs. 
William Reynolds Vance), and Miss May Gregory, sur- 
vive him. 



JOSEPH R. GARLICK 

1825-1912 

One of the delegates to the "Virginia Baptist Anniver- 
saries" (as the general State gathering was then called), 
in Norfolk, 1852, was Joseph R. Garlick. In 1856 he 
was one of the life members of the General Association, 
and on through the years, until his death, he was closely 
connected with the work of the denomination in Virginia. 
He was born on December 30, 1825, in King William 
County, Virginia. After his early training in neighbor- 
hood schools he enteredj in 1840, the Virginia Baptist 
Seminary (now Richmond College), where he continued 
till the fall of 1841, when he became a student at Colum- 
bian College. Washington. Here he graduated in 1843. 
For a season he now became a teacher, his first experi- 
ence as a pedagogue being at Lancaster Court House. 
One of his pupils, a youth four years his junior, named 
Thomas S. Dunaway, still abides among us, in his vener- 
able age, after a long and a most honored career of 
service among Virginia Baptists. Upon the death of his 
former schoolmaster, Dr. Dunaway wrote tender and 
loving words concerning him, describing him as "a man 
of fine literary taste and acquirements and broad scholar- 
ship," and recalling the fact that Dr. Jeter had once 
suggested to Dr. Garlick that he prepare a lexicon of the 
English language. 

After studying theology under Rev. Dr. Andrew 
Broaddus, the elder, he was ordained, in December, 1847. 
His first charge was at Hampton, Va., and here he 
remained four years. After teaching for two years in 
the Chowan Female Institute, Murfreesboro, N. C, he 

345 



346 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

moved, in 1855, to Bruington, King and Queen County, 
where he established the Rappahannock Female Institute, 
over which he presided for fourteen years. For a decade 
of this period at Bruington he was pastor of St. 
Stephen's Church, in the same county. In 1870 he was 
called to succeed Rev. A. E. Dickinson as pastor of the 
Leigh Street Baptist Church, Richmond. This relation- 
ship continued some nine years, and that the work pros- 
pered is seen from the fact that in 1869 the church 
reported 544 members, and, in 1879, no less than 896. 
Upon leaving Richmond and Leigh Street he returned to 
a country pastorate and to the section where he had 
already spent many years. Once more he became pastor 
of St. Stephen's Church, and later, also, of Mt. Zion 
and Lower King and Queen. After some nine or ten 
years here, he passed to the Dover Association, taking 
charge of that historic church now known as Winn's, 
but first, and until 1833, called Chickahominy, and then 
Bethlehem until 1870, when the present name was 
chosen. In the historical sermon that Dr. Garlick 
preached, in November, 1901, the year "Winn's" was one 
hundred and twenty years old, he explained why the 
name of the church was changed from Chickahominy to 
Bethlehem, and then to "Winn's." In 1833, at the time 
of the Campbellite excitement, the Chickahominy Church 
was excluded from the Association because many of its 
members held unbaptistic views. The rest of the church 
went on, simply adopting the new name. By 1870 there 
were so many churches called "Bethlehem" that the name 
of the man who had given the site for the meeting-house 
was chosen, since it was more distinctive. 

As has already been seen, Dr. Garlick was a scholar 
and a student. Three years after his graduation at 
Columbian he received, "in course," his M. A. degree, 
and while he was pastor in Richmond, Richmond College 



JOSEPH R. GARLICK 347 

conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. For 
some years he was a trustee of Richmond College, where 
he "brought the ripe experience of his teaching life to 
bear on the adjustment of many educational problems." 
For several years he was professor in the Richmond 
Female Institute and the Woman's College of Rich- 
mond. For five years he was President of the State 
Mission Board of the General Association. His married 
life was long and happy, his wife having been, before 
her marriage, Miss Sue Morrison. The children of this 
marriage were Edward, Lizzie, Ellen (Mrs. Todd), 
Richard Cecil, and Mary Atwood. Full of years and full 
of honors, Dr. Garlick passed away August 13, 1912. 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 

1834-1912 

Those who knew Dr. Hatcher in his manhood and 
ministry days were very apt to learn that Bedford 
County was his birthplace, for he was proud of his native 
county, a county that has produced many preachers. The 
Peaks of Otter, at whose foot his early days were spent, 
he called "my mountain,'' and the tall summit seemed to 
speak to the boy of God and heaven. His only memory 
of his mother was her funeral, for the day he was four 
years old she was laid to rest under the old cherry tree 
back of the garden. He felt, through life, how much he 
had missed in not knowing a mother's love, and his 
sympathy and interest in boys was testimony to the lack 
in his own life. His father was fifty years his senior, 
but the boy loved him with strong devotion, and, after 
the mother's death, for years they were bed-fellows. 
The father was greatly distressed because this son seemed 
to him to be so lazy. It was true that the young fellow 
hated to "work in the dirt." The father predicted that 
this aversion meant that he would starve, but the boy 
believed that in some other way he would make his living. 
So serious was the father's distress over the boy's dis- 
inclination to do farm work that he told his cousin, the 
future Dr. Jeter, how matters stood, and that the boy, 
instead of working, was forever reading. The boy, who 
overheard the conversation, was keenly mortified to see 
what his father thought of him, but Dr. Jeter's view of 
the situation was less grave, and his advice that the boy 
be sent to school was eventually followed. The family 
circle consisted of the children, Henry, Harvey, William, 

348 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 349 

Damaris, and Margaret, and of the colored folks, Uncle 
Sam, Aunt Charity and Charlotte, William and Harvey- 
being the children of the second marriage. Country life 
in Bedford in those days certainly had its limitations. 
Later, Dr. Hatcher thus described his early environment 
and life : "We were twelve miles from the county-seat, 
had mail once a week, and church once a month when the 
weather was good. A blacksmith's shop, a tanyard, and 
a store, with a mill further on, constituted all of our 
public interests. As I had no horse to shoe, no letters to 
write or receive, not a copper to buy anything with, and 
did not belong to the church, my communication with 
the outer world amounted to naught. This statement 
was modified by one exception. I did attain to the honor 
of being a mill boy, and every Saturday morning 'Old 
Fillie' was bridled, a bag of corn was balanced on her 
back, and the giant arms of my brother hoisted me 
astride the mare and bag, and, with only the necessary 
garb, in warm weather, to save me from public disgrace, 
I jogged my way over to Chilton's Mill. There I always 
had an interesting time. The proprietor of the mill had 
a most unsavory name in that community, but he was 
rich ; he had quite a handsome assortment of books, 
always welcomed me into his office, was a glib and capti- 
vating talker, and was one of two or three men on the 
earth at that time who seemed to be conscious of my 
existence when I came along." The boy seems to have 
had but one everyday suit, and that made "of the wool 
taken from the backs of our sheep, carded, spun, and 
woven in our house, dyed with ill-odored, homemade 
dyes, cut out, and warranted not to fit, and was ugly and 
unattractive, and usually very slow to wear out." The 
Sunday school of the neighborhood, which ran from the 
early days of spring until the end of the summer, was 
most unattractive ; the teachers and scholars stammered 



350 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

through long chapters of the Bible, the prayers were 
long, and there was no singing, and never "a breezy and 
cheery address." 

At Mt. Hermon Church, when the pastor. Father 
William Harris, and F. M. Barker, a man of great elo- 
quence, were conducting a meeting, the youth was con- 
verted. With his hand in the kindly grasp of Dr. Falls, 
he first went forward when "the invitation" was given, 
and later came out into the full light of joyful surrender 
to Christ, under the gentle guidance of Monroe Hatcher. 
That night, when the two brothers reached home, the 
elder son went in to where Mr. Hatcher was in bed and 
said : "Father, great news to-night — great news ; your 
baby boy came into the Kingdom of God." It may have 
been that the youth's call to preach came that day when 
Father Harris laid his hand on his head, as he passed the 
reading boy, and said he hoped he would be a minister of 
the gospel some day. Later, the young man's greatest 
obstacle to entering the ministry was his irresistible 
eagerness to do so. But there seemed to be no money 
for an education. At nineteen he began to teach, and 
the session, it was arranged, was to last twelve months 
and the salary to be $300 and board. It was in a private 
family, and before the year was out a whipping that the 
young pedagogue administered to his employer's son 
broke up the school and turned the teacher's feet towards 
college, a place that had been his heart's desire for no 
little time. With him went his older brother, Harvey. 
This was in 1854. It so happened that the young man's 
first Sunday in Richmond was the first Sunday of Dr. 
J. L. Burrows' pastorate at the First Baptist Church. 
With wonder, this student sat in the gallery and heard 
the new preacher. Such crowds he had never seen 
before, and the preacher was a revelation to him. He 
did not know "that God made men like that." The two 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 351 



the mountains of Bedford were almost wholly unlike. 
Harvey had a gift for mathematics and was slow of 
speech, while William abominated this exact science and 
was a most fluent speaker. In June, 1858, the two 
Hatcher brothers graduated from the college, the other 
members of the class being Wm. S. Penick, Samuel H. 
Pulliam, John W. Ryland, and Joseph A. Turner. Be- 
fore his college course was finished, young Hatcher had 
had no little experience in preaching, and had accepted 
a call to his first church and pastorate. His first sermon 
was preached in Bedford, the only word concerning it 
that reached the preacher's ears being the remark of a 
countryman that he had gotten "a fair night's sleep while 
that fellow was talking." During one of his vacations 
he conducted his first protracted meeting, the call for this 
service having come from Father Harris at Mt. Hermon 
Church, in Bedford. In the college, one session, a deep 
work of grace blessed the whole student body, many of 
themen being brought, by the power of the gospel, to 
Christ and his service. In this work William E. Hatcher 
was one of the leaders. From the college the wave of 
spiritual power moved out to the city, and the young 
men of Grace Street Church invited Mr. Hatcher and 
James B. Taylor, Jr., to conduct special services in the 
basement of their church. This work was rich in blessed 
fruit. During these college days Mr. Hatcher preached 
at least once for Dr. Ryland at the First African Church, 
and many times, without money and without price, for 
the feeble Baptist Church in Manchester, just across the 
river from Richmond. As he tramped his way from the 
college to Manchester, and back to the college, he little 
dreamed that here he was to begin his career as a pastor, 
but it was even so. 

On the fourth Sunday in August, 1858, he became 
pastor of the Manchester Baptist Church. The town 



352 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

was far from inviting, and with an unenviable reputation. 
Religion in the town seemed to languish, and several 
attempts to found a Baptist Church had failed. Finally 
the erection of a meeting-house was undertaken, and 
before it was completed the church had been blessed by 
the short but earnest ministry of Rev. Z. Jeter George. 
Upon his death, Mr. Hatcher was called. In much 
depression of spirit, and yet with a clear conviction as 
to the path of duty, he began his work. Before long the 
congregations began to grow, there were conversions, 
and the burdensome debt on the meeting-house was paid. 
The clouds of war gathered over the South, and Man- 
chester shared with her sister towns, Petersburg and 
Richmond, many of the horrors and sorrows of those 
awful days. Yet during these nine years in Manchester 
Mr. Hatcher was growing as a pastor and preacher. 
Already he was beginning to go out into the country for 
work in protracted meetings, a field in which he was to 
exert such a mighty influence for good, in an ever- 
widening area, until the end of his life. On March 17, 
1867, he became pastor of the Franklin Square Baptist 
Church, Baltimore. While in Baltimore he felt the 
power and helpful sympathy of Richard Fuller, the 
greatest pulpit orator Southern Baptists, not to say the 
South, ever had. This unique man called on the new 
pastor and prayed with and for him so tenderly that the 
younger man never forgot the visit; he also urged his 
members in that part of the city to unite with the 
Franklin Square Church. After a brief sojourn in 
Baltimore, Mr. Hatcher returned to Virginia, becoming 
pastor of the First Baptist Church, Petersburg. During 
his seven years in Petersburg his church grew from a 
membership of some 213 to an enrollment of some 442. 
Besides meetings of power in his own field, Mr. Hatcher 
was inspirational along missionary, educational, and 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 353 

evangelistic lines in the State at large. While pastor in 
Petersburg he held a meeting at Shiloh, a church which 
had been reported at the District Association as "dead," 
and before the week was over a band of 56 converts 
were ready for the reviving of the old church, and later 
a fine new meeting-house was built. During his pastor- 
ate in Petersburg the famous Memorial Campaign for 
Richmond College took place, in which campaign Mr. 
Hatcher was a leader. He was a member of the com- 
mittee, appointed by the General Association at the 
session in Staunton, June, 1872, to have charge of this 
campaign, and at this same meeting he preached the 
introductory sermon, his text being: "Christ also loved 
the church and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25); his 
theme being: "Christ's Love and Labor for the Church." 
Far and wide he went throughout the State telling the 
story of the struggles of Virginia Baptists, in the early 
days, for religious liberty. 

On the fourth Sunday of May, 1875, Dr. Hatcher 
began his pastorate at Grace Street Baptist Church, Rich- 
mond, a pastorate that was to last exactly twenty-six 
years, and was to be the most successful and important 
period of his career. He succeeded, at Grace Street, Rev. 
Norvell Wilson, and had as predecessors in this field, 
James B. Taylor, Sr., Jas. B. Jeter, David Shaver, 
Henry Keeling, and Edward Kingsford. While the 
church was a strong body, with some 625 members 
when he became pastor, and a noble house of worship, 
still it grew in numbers and influence. At the end of 
the twenty-six years, although two colonies had gone out 
to establish new churches, the mother church had on her 
roll 989 members. Two new church edifices were built, 
the first one taking the place of the house that had stood 
and served for many years, and the other erected after 
a fire had destroyed, in a few hours, the new church. 
From year to year protracted meetings, with great 



354 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ingatherings, came to be the normal order of things, and 
Dr. Hatcher declared that the church had wonderful 
"spiritual fecundity," and that it "was only necessary to 
watch the signs, mark the season, call them together, and 
sound the gospel trumpet, and the work began." One 
of the unique features of Dr. Hatcher's work at Grace 
Street was his "boys' meetings." Every Sunday after- 
noon Dr. Hatcher's "boys" met. This was before the 
days of B. Y. P. U. and Junior B. Y. P. U. and Royal 
Ambassadors. Yet Dr. Hatcher, by his genial person- 
ality, great love for boys, wonderful tact and resourceful- 
ness, humor and power of organization, led the boys into 
glad devotion and service for Christ and the church. 
Once a year the main audience room was crowded to see 
and hear these boys render a programme largely prepared 
by their leader and pastor. Out of this band came many 
preachers and church workers, and, when the need arose, 
these boys raised large sums of money for the improve- 
ment of the old or the building of the jiew meeting-house. 
Great congregations were the order of the day at Grace 
Street, and the Sunday school, although it worked in a 
room that was utterly inadequate, was mighty in num- 
bers and spirit. Dr. Hatcher, in some respects, grew as 
a preacher until tjie end of his life, but doubtless he 
reached his zenith of pulpit power at Grace Street. He 
was a great preacher. He was not always at his best — 
who is? — but Sunday after Sunday his sermons were 
interesting, helpful, fruitful, and on special occasions 
and at other times he often spoke with convincing and 
moving power. He had many demands on his time that 
invaded the hours for sermon preparation, and some 
accused him of neglecting his study and his Sunday 
messages, but this was not, I am persuaded, a just criti- 
cism. He told me once that if he was busy all the week 
out of his study, on legitimate work, the Lord helped him 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 355 

Sunday, but if he failed to prepare by reason of laziness 
or carelessness the help from above did not seem to come. 
In protracted meetings he was perhaps at his best. He 
enforced his arguments and carried home his exhortation 
by most telling illustrations. Very rarely were his illus- 
trations ever taken from history. They usually came 
from events in his life and from experiences in other 
lives which he had known. The Bible was the other 
chief treasury from which his illustrations were drawn. 
He was a master in the painting of word pictures, know- 
ing how to use details so that they never wearied, but 
were always interesting. He rarely quoted poetry in his 
sermons, and probably knew little. He was not, in the 
stricter sense of the terms, a great student or a great 
reader. He seemed to read rather for recreation and 
information as to events of the day than for use in 
preaching. Yet he was a careful and thorough thinker, 
and his mind was quick and well trained. He once said 
that he could not just get up and talk without having a 
subject and an objective point. Humor played a part 
in his sermons and had even larger room in his platform 
addresses and speeches on various occasions. Yet they 
are mistaken who suppose he was humorous merely to 
make people laugh. With him humor must serve a moral 
purpose or be counted out of place. He was not a teller 
of funny stories; indeed, it is remarkable how few anec- 
dotes leading to laughter he told. His humor was more 
natural, more, spontaneous, and so more delightful. It 
was his art of saying things. He saw things from new 
and unexpected angles and differently combined. If in 
his earlier years his sense of humor needed curbing when 
he was preaching, in his later years he never offended the 
most exacting taste in this direction, and was in every 
way dignified, though not stern, in the pulpit. Some- 
times on special occasions, when much was expected of 



356 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

him, he disappointed hopes that had been raised. This 
was true when he preached the Commencement sermon at 
the University of Virginia. The night was warm, the 
students, with young ladies, were present in large num- 
bers, and several bats came in and refused to go out. 
Dr. Hatcher said the belles and the bats were his undoing. 
Certainly such disasters were rare with Dr. Hatcher. 
Some of his sermons reached the high-water mark of 
pulpit power. This was true of his sermon before the 
Southern Baptist Convention at Nashville in 1893. His 
text was "Experience worketh hope," and his theme 
"The Value of the Experimental Hope." The meeting 
hall was the Ryerson Auditorium, not, perhaps, as 
favorable a place for a sermon as a church, yet with 
good acoustic properties. The sermon was heard by all 
the great audience, produced a deep impression, and 
ranks as one of the best of our Convention sermons. 
Dr. Hatcher did not have a clear or musical voice, and 
at times his tones were not clear, yet he overcame 
this handicap, and he was usually heard by his congrega- 
tion however large it was. In speaking of this sermon 
he said that he worked on several texts before finally 
choosing the one on which he spoke. In his opinion, 
many Convention sermons failed because the preachers 
had no clear-cut idea of what the sermon was aiming to 
accomplish. 

While he was at Grace Street, Dr. Hatcher's leadership 
in the work of Virginia Baptists grew. Here his sphere 
widened and his influence in the affairs of the Southern 
Baptist Convention was potent. Within the ranks of his 
own denomination in Virginia he held, for many years, 
the first place. What movement of importance came to 
success among Virginia Baptists during this Grace Street 
quarter of a century, and yet other years, which did not 
have his championship and leadership? It was hard, in 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 357 

all these years, to think of Ministerial Education, Rich- 
mond College, the Orphanage, and not remember Dr. 
Hatcher, nor did he fail to espouse the cause of State, 
Home, and Foreign Missions. If a church was to be 
dedicated, or a debt paid, or a great anniversary occasion 
celebrated, Dr. Hatcher's presence was, if possible, 
secured. He attended our District Associations, from 
the Seaboard to the Alleghanies, rather than take such a 
vacation as many city pastors do. Other States besides 
Virginia called on him for all kinds of occasions, and he 
was known, not only in the South, but also among the 
Northern Baptists. At one of the most trying times in 
the history of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 
he was recognized as a leader in the Board of Trustees 
and on the floor of the Convention, and it was he who 
"discovered" and nominated Dr. E. Y. Mullins for the 
presidency of the Seminary. During Dr. Hatcher's years 
at Grace Street many of the students of Richmond Col- 
lege attended his church, and he was in close touch with 
the life of the college, and the students saw him often 
in his hours of relaxation. As a youth, while his brother, 
Harvey, had been devoted to hunting and the fox chase, 
such sports did not appeal to him. At one season of his 
life in Richmond he was much given to the game of 
croquet, and from afternoon to afternoon Dr. Harris, 
Dr. Jeter, Dr. Hatcher, some of the students, and others, 
might be seen on the college campus engaged in playing, 
with great earnestness, this game. One student says 
that a certain man, who was known to have cheated in 
playing in this circle, when afterwards a candidate for 
some position of trust, failed to get Dr. Hatcher's vote, 
since he regarded the game as a fine and fair test of 
character. 

With the close of his twenty-sixth year at Grace Street 
he resigned his church to take up a special agency work 



358 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

for Richmond College. While at one time, during the 
Grace Street pastorate, there was a serious faction in the 
church and determined opposition to him, all this had 
passed away and the church was united and devotedly 
loyal to him for years before his work with them ended. 
About this time he became interested also in the Fork 
Union Academy, in Fluvanna County. After his five 
years of service with the college was completed he gave 
much of his time and thought to the school in Fluvanna. 
Under his fostering care and by reason of his enthusi- 
astic leadership the institution came rapidly to a position 
of real influence and service. This Academy, the boys, 
their games, their physical and religious welfare, their 
studies, had large place in his thoughts and affections. 
By this time he had sold his residence in Richmond, 608 
West Grace Street, where he lived for many years, and 
had made "Careby Hall," at Fork Union, his home. 
Here the rest of his days were spent, and here he died. 
Since now he had no regular church and Sunday appoint- 
ments, he was more than ever free for special services 
and for protracted-meeting engagements. And how 
busy he was kept, and what long and, if necessary, what 
rapid trips he made across the State and even yet further 
afield to help pastors and churches ! He was now no 
longer a young man, and yet he seemed to have the vigor 
and dauntless spirit of a young man. Once he was help- 
ing a pastor in the Valley when a call came to both of 
them, as trustees, to attend an important meeting of the 
Richmond College Board. Dr. Hatcher preached at the 
night service, and then he and the pastor traveled all 
night in a day coach, reaching Richmond for breakfast. 
After the Board's meeting was over they traveled again 
all night, and then, by driving eleven miles the next 
morning, were on hand for that morning's meeting at the 
church. Nor did the forced march leave Dr. Hatcher 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 359 

weary or jaded. The week before his death he attended 
three Associations and rode nine miles to see a boy who 
was thinking about attending the Fork Union Academy. 
His activity of heart and body continued to the very last 
day of his life. The night before his death there was a 
gathering of his fellow-citizens at his house and on his 
lawn to take steps for village improvement work, and he 
made them a speech. Early the next morning he was 
dressed, straightening up things in his room, and singing, 
when the messenger of death approached, and in a few 
hours he had fallen on sleep. 

Dr. Hatcher was many sided, able to do many things 
well. He was called, by one, "the great Baptist com- 
moner," and indeed his gift for leadership was wonder- 
ful. While his power as a leader has already been men- 
tioned, a few words more on this side of his life and 
work will not be untimely. In emergencies, when others 
hesitated, or failed to see the way the path of duty and 
success led, or were held back by prudence or conserva- 
tism, Dr. Hatcher came to his conviction and determina- 
tion and moved forward, inviting his brethren to go with 
him to victory. As an illustration of this, see him at a 
crisis in the history of the Greater Richmond College. 
The Finance Committee hesitated to assume the larger 
financial obligations which the magnificent plans for 
Westhampton demanded. The Board of Trustees met 
in special session. Should they retrench, or, with faith 
in God and the brethren, assume the great responsibility 
and move forward for great things ? There was silence. 
After a few moments Dr. Hatcher arose. He described 
with tenderness the courage and boldness of the fathers 
who founded the college. He caught the vision of 
glorious things. He declared his trust in God and the 
denomination. He moved that the larger plans be 
carried out. It was the speech of a born leader. It sug- 
gested the spirit and enthusiasm of a young man. It was 



360 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

a great speech; it carried the day; it marked an era. 
In the social circle, or in a more private tete-a-tete con- 
versation, he was delightful. He was willing to listen, 
as well as talk, but few cared to do anything but hear 
him so long as he was willing to describe men and events. 
His humor was as sparkling as wine and as the cool 
water, on a hot day, from a crystal spring. So far, 
nothing has been said about Dr. Hatcher's work with his 
pen. For years he wrote regularly for the Religious 
Herald, and later was a constant contributor to the 
Baptist World. During a number of years he wrote a 
part of the lesson notes in the Baptist Teacher, of the 
Nashville Board. In order to keep up all this work, as 
well as his large correspondence, he managed to make 
good use of fragments of time, even when he was wait- 
ing for a train, and in his latter years often called upon 
a friend or companion to become his scribe. He was also 
an author. There is his "Life of Dr. Jeter." He and 
his wife wrote together the "Life of Dr. A. B. Brown." 
Two books he gave the world in the last period of his 
life — "John Jasper" and "Along the Trail of the 
Friendly Years," have had a wide circulation and given 
great pleasure to thousands. To this latter book, which 
is largely autobiographical, the reader is referred for 
the fuller knowledge of Dr. Hatcher's life. Not a few 
facts in this sketch are taken from this book. It is 
understood that he had another book almost ready for 
publication when his end came; some chapters of this 
book have been published, since his death, in the New 
York Watchman-Examiner. 

Dr. Hatcher was survived by his wife. Together they 
had walked the paths of married life since December, 
1864. She was Miss Virginia Snead, of Fork Union, 
Fluvanna County, and not long before her marriage had 
graduated at the Albemarle Female Institute, Charlottes- 



WILLIAM ELDRIDGE HATCHER 361 

ville, Va. Mrs. Hatcher helped to organize the W. M. U. 
of the Southern Baptist Convention, and in 1889 was the 
first president of the Virginia (State) Union. The 
children who survive their father are Rev. Dr. Eldridge 
B. Hatcher, Miss Ora Latham Hatcher, Mrs. C. L. 
DeMott, and Mrs. H. W. Sadler. The span of his life 
was from July 25, 1834, to Saturday, August 24, 1912. 
Services were held, first at Fork Union and then in Rich- 
mond. The plan that his body be laid to rest under the 
sod of Fluvanna was changed when a committee came 
from his old flock, Grace Street Church, asking that 
Hollywood be made his .burial place. Here, near the 
graves of many whom he loved and with whom he 
labored, and hard by the city where so much of his life 
was spent, his ashes await the resurrection morn. The 
speakers at the funeral at Fork Union were Dr. F. W. 
Boatwright, Mr. Walton, Dr. W. W. Landrum, and Dr. 
T. J. Shipman, and those taking part in the services 
at Grace Street were Dr. R. J. Willingham, Dr. W. W. 
Landrum, Rev. Andrew Broaddus, Lieutenant-Governor 
J. Taylor Ellyson, Dr. R. H. Pitt, Dr. C. H. Ryland, and 
Mr. Haddon Watkins. Such a familiar figure was 
Dr. Hatcher to Virginia Baptists that a description of his 
personal appearance seems almost unnecessary, but some 
who read these pages may live beyond the arena and 
period of his service. In his latter years he was portly 
in figure, and yet he had, almost to the end, an alertness 
of movement that showed remarkable physical vigor. 
He was of distinguished bearing, and would have 
attracted attention in any crowd. His features were 
almost rugged, though not stern, and his eyes clear and 
imperative in their sweep. His head, which was large, 
finely shaped, and remarkably broad, was firmly set on 
his neck that gave token of strength and power. While 
he was not tall, his appearance before an audience was 
always impressive, for he was indeed a master of 
assemblies. 



ALEXANDER FLEET 
1912 

In the home of his father. Col. Alexander Fleet (who 
claimed, and apparently with justness, to be descended 
from Charlemagne, of France), near Fleetwood Acad- 
emy, King and Queen County, Virginia, Alexander Fleet 
was born. In the community of his birth he came up to 
manhood "amidst influences which admirably tended to 
nurture his mind and heart, to refine his manners, and 
confirm him in the faith of the gospel as held and prac- 
ticed among Baptists. The piety of his early life, his 
devotion to the interests of the church, and his natural 
aptitude and gifts, left no cause for surprise among his 
associates and friends when he gave himself to the 
ministry." At Bruington Church, King and Queen 
County, he was ordained, on June 24, 1883, to the gospel 
ministry. He began his ministerial career as pastor of 
Upper Essex and Centennial Churches, Rappahannock 
Association. This Association was to be, save for a brief 
season, the scene of his work as a pastor and preacher. 
For some eighteen years he ministered to the Exol and 
St. Stephen's Churches, and a year or so longer at the 
former charge. His interesting association with these 
churches began in 1890. 

Rev. W. T. Hundley, speaking of Mr. Fleet, after his 
death, says : "He was known by friends and companions 
. as Darner Fleet. . . . Fifty years ago last 
September I saw him for the first time one Monday 
morning, standing by a desk in the old academy building 
at Stevensville, King and Queen County. . . . He 
was a tall and comely youth, with the ruddy glow of 

362 



ALEXANDER FLEET 363 

budding manhood on his cheeks. . . . Darner and 
I entered Richmond College together. . . . All the 
qualities that go to make up the character of a royal 
Christian gentleman were found in him; . . . gentle 
as a woman, refined, cultured, intellectual, self-sacrific- 
ing, modest, courageous, faithful, loyal to his convictions, 
cheerful. So he was a gentle man. I can say no more." 

"Along with his ministerial aims and glad willingness 
to preach as God gave him opportunity, he was strongly 
called to the schoolroom, and much of his life was 
devoted to that high and useful service. He conducted 
schools at Warrenton, six years in Kentucky, at Tappa- 
hannock, and at Bruington, and many pupils in these 
several localities hold his memory in grateful esteem.'' 
During his life at Warrenton he was pastor, for a short 
time, of Bealeton and Broad Run, churches of the 
Potomac Association. 

For some years before his death his health was not 
good, and so his work was much interrupted. He bore 
his sufferings with Christian fortitude, and his end, that 
came September 20, 1912, was peaceful. His wife, who 
before her marriage was Miss Josie Jeffries, of Essex, 
and these children survive him: Ella Laurie (Mrs. Robert 
Grey Dillard), Robert Hill Fleet, Rawley Martin Fleet, 
Martha Pollard Fleet. The quotations in this sketch and 
some of the facts are from the obituary, in the Minutes 
of the General Association, bv Rev. Dr. G. W. Beale. 



ROBERT BABBOR GILBERT 

1867-1913 

While the list of ministers and the Associational tables 
of the General Association do not contain the name of 
Robert Gilbert, an obituary of him appeared in the 
Minutes of the General Association for 1913, written 
by Rev. O. L. Terry, one of the pastors of the New 
Lebanon Association. The facts given in the obituary, 
with others furnished by Mr. Terry, are summed up here. 
He was born in Russell County, Virginia, in 1867, and 
died February 8, 1913. In 1889 he was baptized into 
the fellowship of the Oak Grove Church, New Lebanon 
Association. He was ordained to the gospel ministry in 
1899, and then the Copper Ridge Baptist Church called 
him to be their pastor. Until his death, February 8, 
1913, his life was a consecrated one, and his friends say 
that in his last hours, when he was ill, he sang, preached, 
and prayed till he fell on sleep. He left behind him a 
mother and two brothers. His education, though limited, 
was remarkable, when it is remembered that his oppor- 
tunities for self-improvement were most restricted. His 
knowledge and comprehension of the Bible were wonder- 
ful. Mr. Terry gave him a "Teacher's Bible" and guided 
him in the effective use of this valuable volume. Mr. 
Gilbert was a most zealous and earnest preacher. It was 
his custom to get employment at "public works" and then 
preach to his fellow-workers at night. Many very hard- 
hearted sinners were converted under his ministry. 



364 



THOMAS F. GRIMSLEY 

1835-1913 

In the "Lives of Virginia Baptist Ministers," Third 
Series, there is a sketch of Rev. Barnett Grimsley. Rev. 
Thomas F. Grimsley, who was his son, was born near 
Laurel Mills, Rappahannock County, Virginia, December 
20, 1835. As a youth Mr. Grimsley, with the help of Rev. 
Mr. Worden, a Presbyterian minister, prepared himself 
to teach, and began his work in this important sphere in 
the home of Mr. William B. Harris, of Clarke County. 
While young Grimsley was giving instruction in other 
branches, perhaps he was receiving from Mr. Harris, 
who was a good classical scholar, special training in the 
Latin language and literature. His work at this time 
was evidently thorough, for in his latter years, after all 
the vicissitudes through which he had passed, he could 
translate, practically at sight, Caesar, Virgil, Cicero, and 
the Vulgate. He was a great reader, and was always 
trying to fit himself, in these years, for the business of 
teaching. When the War broke out he left the school- 
room for the more trying experiences of the camp. As 
a member of the 6th Virginia Cavalry he followed the 
cause of the Confederacy from Manassas to Appo- 
mattox. He made a good record as a soldier, and his 
comrades, who knew him as Tom Grimsley, loved to tell 
how he had stood by them in their hours of emergency. 

With the end of the War he took up the work of life 
in the twofold capacity of teacher and preacher. At 
Mt. Salem Church, on Saturday before the first Sunday 
in February, 1868, he was ordained to the full work of 
the gospel ministry. In the course of the years, he served 

365 



366 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

as pastor, his field of activity being the counties of 
Madison, Greene, Culpeper, and Rappahannock, these 
churches: Liberty, Swift Run, Mt. Zion, Shiloh, Slate 
Mills, Flint Hill, Graves' Chapel, Pleasant Grove, and 
Bethel. To this last organization he preached more than 
thirty-seven years. After his marriage, November 29, 
1869, to Miss Elizabeth M. Carpenter, of Madison 
County, he made his home, for the years of his active 
ministry, at Madison Court House. Here he established 
a school for young ladies, which he conducted success- 
fully until the demands of his churches made the closing 
of the school necessary. 

While as a preacher Mr. Grimsley did not have the 
ringing voice and impressive delivery of his father, as a 
thinker he was his father's equal, if not his superior. 
"His sermons were clear in conception, accurate in state- 
ment, and always instructive and helpful." A man of 
strong convictions, he was amiable, generous, and frank, 
with agreeable and winning manners. As a pastor he 
visited rich and poor alike, and took an interest in the 
material, as well as the spiritual, welfare of his people. 
Several men whom he baptized afterwards became 
ministers of the gospel. 

Mr. Grimsley died at the home of his son-in-law, 
Mr. Barnett Miller, of Culpeper, Va., March 6, 1913. 
On the thirtieth day of the same month, at a Fifth Sun- 
day Meeting in the Culpeper Baptist Church, when a 
Memorial Service in honor of Mr. Grimsley was held, a 
paper was read by Rev. Thomas P. Brown. This sketch 
is based upon this paper and upon the obituary, also by 
Mr. Brown, which appeared in the Minutes of the Gen- 
eral Association for 1913. 



ISAAC NEWTON MAY 

1841-1913 

A number of Virginia Baptist preachers have had, as 
a part of their life work, the opportunities and the 
responsibilities of the teacher, some in public schools, 
some in academies, and some in colleges and universities. 
In many cases, as was true of Rev. I. N. May, the years 
given to the classroom were also those through which 
they preached. In not a few instances financial needs 
have made it necessary for the preacher to supplement 
his salary from his church or churches. And often it 
has been true that the talent for teaching equaled, if it 
did not surpass, that for the pulpit. Mr. May, either as 
student or as teacher, in the course of his life, was con- 
nected with two universities and several secondary 
schools. A student of the University of Virginia the ses- 
sion of 1860-61, he left his alma mater to enter the 
Confederate Army, and after the War, having gone to 
Texas, he was Professor in Baylor University. He was 
also Principal of Bryan Female College. Upon his return 
to Virginia he was pastor, first, at Gordonsville, then at 
Luray, and then at Flint Hill, Rappahannock County. 
From Flint Hill he moved to Louisa County to the estate 
he had inherited from his father. This place, known as 
"Oakland," was to be his home until his death. After 
teaching for several sessions, beginning in 1882, first at 
Green Level Academy and then at Locust Dale Academy, 
he established at his home a school for boys, known as 
"Oakland x<\cademy," where he labored with enthusiasm 
and success to the end of his life. He had a bright mind, 
loved to teach, and was especially devoted to mathematics. 

367 



368 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Prof. J. B. Loving, who was a student under him at 
Locust Dale, wrote of his influence over his scholars, and 
quoted a remark of Prof. John Hart about one of Mr. 
May's sermons at Locust Dale ; he said that neither Dr. 
Hawthorne nor any of the "D. D.'s" could have preached 
a finer sermon. 

Mr. May's work as a preacher was in the Shiloh and 
Goshen Associations. While teaching in Rappahannock 
County he was pastor of Flint Hill and Luray Churches. 
After moving to Louisa he was pastor, before his active 
work as a preacher closed, of the following churches : 
Oakland, Lower Gold Mine, Cedar Run, Perkins, Forest 
Hill, Mt. Gilead. Some of these places were at con- 
siderable distances from his home, so there is the picture 
before our eyes of this man of God, with his double 
work, turning away from the schoolroom to drive or ride 
to his distant "appointment." Professor Loving says of 
him : "As a sermonizer Brother May was far above the 
average. He possessed a logical mind, analyzed well his 
subject, and always gave his hearers something they 
could take with them to their homes." While in Texas, 
in August, 1867, Mr. May was married to Miss Jane D. 
Goodwin, a native Virginian, who, with a son, survived 
him. In the home which she helped to make, cordial 
hospitality abounded. His fatal illness lasted but a week, 
and on March 17, 1913, he passed away, in his seventy- 
second year, for he was born September 28, 1841. 



REUBEN BAKER BOATWRIGHT 

1831-1913 

From the Religious Herald for February 8, 1906, the 
genial and kind face of Reuben Baker Boatwright looked 
forth upon the reader. The occasion for the presenta- 
tion of this picture in the Herald was Mr. Boatwright's 
arrival at the age of threescore and fifteen years. The 
picture was accompanied by an article from the pen of 
Dr. A. E. Dickinson, descriptive of the work and charac- 
ter of Mr. Boatwright. This article expressed the 
opinion that perhaps the best service he had rendered was 
the giving of his son, Dr..F. W. Boatwright, to Rich- 
mond College and to the world, and closed with these 
words: "His life has been a benediction, and I trust he 
may yet be spared for years to the hundreds and 
thousands who know and love him." It was in the same 
year that Mr. Boatwright sent a brief letter to the Herald 
pleading for more "spiritual uplift" in its columns for 
the old men and women, declaring that it is "highly 
necessary to keep the fires burning on the altars of our 
hearts." Mr. Boatwright had known Mr. Sands, the first 
editor of the Herald, and had paid $4 a year subscription 
for the paper. 

Mr. Boatwright will be remembered as a country and 
village preacher, and his college and seminary friend, 
Dr. Charles H. Ryland, whose friendship ran out through 
sixty years, thinks that the following lines of Goldsmith 
well described his character and career: 

"Remote from towns he ran his godly race, 
Nor e'er had changed, nor wished to change, his place; 
Unpracticed he to fawn, or seek for power, 
By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour; 
Far other aims his heart had learned to prize, — 
More bent to raise the wretched than to rise." 

369 



370 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Buckingham County, where he spent much of his life, 
and beneath whose sod his ashes rest, gave him birth. 
Near Mt. Zion Church, January 23, 1831, he first saw 
the light, his parents being Reuben Boatwright and Mary 
Bryant. His grandfather, Reuben Boatwright, a soldier 
of the Revolution, coming from Prince Edward County 
to Buckingham County in 1788, had built his home, 
"Travelers' Rest," near Mt. Zion Church. The son of 
this Revolutionary soldier and the father of Reuben 
Baber Boatwright was an ordained minister, but he 
declined calls from Mt. Zion and other churches, choos- 
ing rather to look after his farm and to preach as 
occasion invited. The other children of the family were 
two daughters, who died when young, and two brothers, 
Charles P. and Thomas Frederick, and three half-sisters 
and one half-brother, P. P. Boatwright, offspring of the 
father's second marriage. In 1847, when sixteen years 
old, he made a profession of religion and was baptized, 
near Mt. Zion and into her fellowship, by Rev. Wm. H. 
Taylor. 

After having begun his education at Berryman's 
Academy he entered Richmond College in the fall of 
1856, Charles H. Ryland being one of his fellow- 
students. Before his course of two years at the college 
was over he was licensed by his mother church to preach, 
and before he became a student at the Southern Baptist 
Theological Seminary at Greenville, S. C, he did some 
preaching and was ordained at Mt. Zion, Rev. P. S. Hen- 
son and Rev. W. H. Taylor forming the presbytery. His 
year at Greenville was the first in the history of the 
Seminary, and he was one of the ten Virginia sent that 
session. His fellow-student, Charles H. Ryland, says 
that he was "the best theologian of his class." From the 
Seminary it was not long before he took his place in the 
army, becoming chaplain of the 46th Virginia Regiment. 



REUBEN BAKER BOATWRIGHT 371 

Before the War ended he was pastor of Enon and 
Brown's, in the James River Association, and Scottsville, 
in the Albemarle, and, having been married on Septem- 
ber 5, 1865, in Cumberland County, to Miss Maria Eliza- 
beth Woodruff, Rev. Wm. H. Taylor performing the 
ceremony, in 1866 he took charge of Lewisburg and other 
churches in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The 
children of this union were F. W., Martha Susan (now 
Mrs. J. A. Clark), Mary Elizabeth (now Mrs. R. M. 
Booth), Sarah Look (now Mrs. Sands Gayle), and John 
B. During his pastorate of some three years there he com- 
pleted the repairs on the Lewisburg Meeting-House and 
"secured a deed of gift to the house of worship at the 
Sweet Springs." One of his members at Sweet Springs 
was a Mr. Moss, who had been a very wicked man, and 
who, at the age of eighty, was converted. As soon as he 
was converted he became most anxious to know more 
about Jesus. Upon his wife's death, years before, he had 
put her Bible away in the bottom of the trunk, but now he 
took it out, kissed it and wept over it, deploring the fact 
that he could not read a line of it. But, wonderful to 
tell, without a teacher he taught himself, and spelled and 
read his way through the New Testament and through 
much of the Old Testament. He never would read to 
any one, but Mr. Boatwright, interested in his remarkable 
and highly praiseworthy achievements, went up to his 
room, prevailed on him to read to him, and found that 
he could read, and that he understood what he read. 
While in West Virginia, Mr. Boatwright knew Wm. G. 
Margrave, whom he considered "the greatest man that 
ever lived in West Virginia, for he served most." Mar- 
grave led a wicked career for forty-five years, but the 
remainder of his life he was a zealous worker for God. 
Although an ordained minister, he never served as a 
pastor save as a supply or till the church could get some 
one else. In the destitute sections he was ever busy, 



372 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

preaching in private homes and distributing far and 
wide tracts and good books. Mr. Boatwright tells how 
once Margrave was overtaken by night in a section where 
settlers were few and where rattlesnakes were numerous. 
As the cabin to which he had come was small, and the 
family large, they could give him food but not a bed. So 
he ate his supper, and then raking up chips into a circle, 
set them on fire, got into the circle, went to sleep, and 
had a good night's rest. 

Marion, in the Lebanon Association, was Mr. Boat- 
wright's next field of labor. Here was his home and 
his church for three different pastorates, and, all told, for 
seventeen years, a longer period than he spent as pastor . 
anywhere else. While at Marion he also preached, dur- 
ing his first pastorate, for the South Fork, Chatham Hill, 
and Sugar Grove Churches, and during his second term 
for Friendship and Greenfield Churches. Mr. Boatwright 
always retained "the impress of his alma mater," was 
ever interested in education, and while at Marion taught 
in the Marion Academy and the Marion Female College. 
He was one of the first trustees of the Southwest Vir- 
ginia Institute (now Intermont College), and later of the 
Jeter Female Institute, Bedford City. In writing once 
for the Herald on the question of ordination, he said, 
referring to the Marion period of his life, that he had 
had "some bitter experience in trying, as one of a presby- 
tery, to keep out men whom I thought unqualified for the 
ministry." Dr. Ryland is doubtless right when he says : 
"At this place the best work of his life was done. He 
not only built up the Marion Church but strengthened 
other churches in Smyth and Washington Counties." It 
was while he lived in Southwest Virginia that once at a 
meeting of the New River Association, in company with 
Hon. J. Taylor Ellyson and Dr. W. R. L. Smith, the 
following incident occurred. At the home to which the 
trio went to spend the night there were not less than 



REUBEN BAKER BOATWRIGHT 373 

thirty or forty guests. After a long trip of a score and 
a half miles over the mountains they were very tired, and 
so no little interested as to where they were to sleep. 
About ten o'clock their host led them to a large room 
furnished with two good beds. There was a fire burning 
on the hearth, but, much to the dismay of the trio, before 
the fire there sat two women wearing long-eared bonnets 
and busy cooking. The women looked neither to the 
right nor to the left, and were silent. It was evident that 
they were going to stay until the victuals were cooked, 
no matter how long that took. After much hesitation 
Mr. Boatwright, feeling that the long-eared bonnets gave 
him a large degree of protection from observation, 
undressed and got into bed. His companions after a 
season left the room, but finally returned, when the 
women, seeing that they were "uncommonly modest 
young men," gathered up the next day's dinner and 
departed. 

After leaving Marion the last time, and before his 
active work as a pastor ceased, Mr. Boatwright served 
the following churches, all of them in that general 
section of Eastern Virginia of which Buckingham forms 
a part: Peterville and Fine Creek (Middle District 
Association) ; Lyles (Albemarle Association) ; Carters- 
ville, Enon, Cedar, Buckingham, Cumberland (James 
River Association) ; Mt. Hermon, Big Spring, Ivey 
Chapel, Morgan's, Diamond Hill, Flint Hill (Strawberry 
Association). Before this he had been pastor for a year 
at the First Church, Bristol. 

During the closing years of his life he was an invalid, 
and at times a great sufferer. When the end came, April 
19, 1913, his wife and five children were with him, and 
there was peace. On a bright Sunday afternoon his body 
was laid to rest under the old oaks in the Buckingham 
churchyard, the funeral being conducted by Rev. R. W. 
Bagwell, who was assisted in the services by Rev. W. H. 
Street and Rev. C. H. Ryland. 



JOSEPH B. KENDRICK 

1837-1913 

Within the bounds of the New Lebanon Association 
the main work of Rev. Joseph B. Kencirick was done. 
Before the organization of this body he was one of the 
original members of Independence Church, which was 
organized in 1861. For many years he was pastor of 
this church. The other churches of the New Lebanon 
Association that he served as pastor were Bethany, 
Salem, Russell's Fork, Corinth, Finney, and Oak Grove. 
He was a member of a family remarkable for its size, 
there being twenty-one children. He was the youngest 
of the twenty-one, and outlived them all. From July 7, 
1837, to April 22, 1913, was the period covered by his 
life, being nearly seventy-six years. On April 27, 1859, 
he was married to Charity Hart, who bore him five sons 
and six daughters and survived him. In March, 1861, 
he was licensed to the gospel ministry, but when a few 
weeks later the War broke out he enlisted and served 
until the battle of Sharpsburg, September 16-17, 1862, 
when he received such wounds that he was exempted 
from further service. While in the army he was in the 
battles of Ball's Bluff, First and Second Winchester, 
Hanover Court House, Fair Oaks, Cross Keys, Port 
Republic, Chickahominy, Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, 
Cedar Mountain, Kettle Run, Groveton, Second Manas- 
sas, Chantilly, and Harper's Ferry. He was a regular at- 
tendant at the sessions of the New Lebanon Association. 
He was sound in his theology and faithful in his procla- 
mation of the gospel. As an evidence of how customs 
have changed, it is interesting to know that at one time, 

374 



JOSEPH B. KENDRICK 375 

many years ago, Mr. Kendrick was a distiller as well as 
a preacher. There is a man now living who tells this 
incident: "When I was a young fellow I went to Mr. 
Kendrick's, in company with a young man, and we 
bought a quart of good liquor from him." During his 
last illness Mr. Kendrick realized that his end was near, 
but no fear oppressed him, and he spoke with joy of his 
departure. 



WILSON V. SELFE 

1842-1913 

Within the bounds of the New Lebanon Association, 
Rev. Wilson V. Selfe lived and did his work. He was 
a prophet with honor among his own people. "The fact 
that for forty years he was able to command the respect 
and esteem of the people among whom he lived, and 
lead them in spiritual things, gives abundant proof of his 
excellent character and his consecration to the work." 
He was born October 2, 1842, and his second birth took 
place in 1869. About three years after his conversion 
he entered the ministry, and in the long course of his 
service he was pastor of the following churches, all of 
them in the New Lebanon Association: Springfield, 
Mt. Zion, Grassy Creek, Cleveland, Liberty, Ring's 
Chapel. He was with the Springfield Church longer than 
with any other. "He was a pioneer, laying the founda- 
tion upon which another generation is now building." 
On January 11, 1865, he was married to Elizabeth Kiser, 
and of this union eleven children were born, and all of 
them are still living. He passed to his reward May 21, 
1913. 



376 



THOMAS BRECKENRIDGE GATEWOOD 

1826-1913 

On the night of March 4, 1876, a great calamity befell 
Rev. Thomas Breckenridge Gatewood. His home, in 
the northern part of Amherst County, was consumed by 
fire, his youngest son, Boyd Elbert Gatewood, who was 
eleven years old, perishing in the flames. At the time of 
this catastrophe Mr. Gatewood, with his wife, was away 
from home and at one of his churches. With the house 
were destroyed all the family records, so that some of the 
dates given in this sketch are approximate only. He was 
born in Amherst County, Virginia, October 6, 1826, and 
about 1860 was ordained to the gospel ministry, the pres- 
bytery being composed of Rev. John W. Hopkins and 
Rev. Armistead H. Ogden. He organized the Oak Grove 
Baptist Church, in the Albemarle Association, and served 
them as pastor for some fifteen years. He was also 
pastor for a number of years of the New Prospect, Piney 
Mount, and Corner Stone Churches. Later he served the 
Neriah and Mountain Branch Churches, in Rockbridge 
County. It is said that he married more couples than any 
preacher in his county, nor did county lines limit his 
activity in this sphere, for he was often called to Bedford 
and Rockbridge to perform this ceremony. It is also 
estimated that under his ministry more people were led 
to make profession of their faith in Christ than under 
any other minister of his day in Amherst County. The 
larger part of his service was near the place of his 
nativity. He was a great reader and a subscriber to 
the Religious Herald for forty years. He was fond 
of horseback riding, and took great interest in his home, 

377 



378 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

a farm of some 85 acres. Here he entertained many 
guests with genial cordiality. Vigorous still at the great 
age of eighty, he was serving churches with real zeal, 
though with small material compensation. Rev. P. H. 
Cowherd, who was his pastor for the last five years of 
the life of the venerable man of God, testifies to the 
attractiveness of this old soldier of Christ, who was 
always present at every service of his church, unless 
providentially hindered. He says of him : "He stood for 
truth and righteousness and was uncompromisingly 
opposed to everything that seemed wrong. He knew 
how to rebuke with all long-suffering and love. I have 
often heard him say: T want to be missed for the good 
I have done when I am gone !' " He was married, about 
1853, to Miss Editha Jane Christian, who bore him three 
daughters and two sons ; of these children three are still 
living, namely : Mrs. V. S. Thornton, Covington, Va., 
Mrs. A. M. Watts, Amherst, and Mr. Marshall P. Gate- 
wood, Pleasant View, Va. His second marriage was 
about November 8, 1879, and this wife, who was Miss 
Nannie Jane Thornton, and their daughter, Mrs. T. E. 
Lacy, Covington, Va., survive him. He died, after a 
month's illness, on June 2, 1913, and was buried in the 
cemetery, on the hill, near his home. The funeral service 
was conducted bv Rev. E. W. Robertson. 



RANSDELL WHITE CRIDLIN 
1840-1913 

The seventh in a family of ten children, Ransdell 
White Cridlin was born in Westmoreland County, Vir- 
ginia, July 18, 1840, his parents being William White 
Cridlin and Alice Peed Cridlin. The parents and this 
child were natives of the same county, the stock being 
English. In Essex County, whither his father moved 
when he was five years old, young Cridlin attended, at 
Vawter's Episcopal Church, his first Sunday school, 
where, without any musical instrument save a tuning 
fork, they sang, among other hymns, "I Want to Be An 
Angel," and "There Is a Happy Land Far, Far Away." 
In this Sunday school one teacher, a Mr. Mathews, who 
had a class of the larger boys, was remarkably popular, 
and finally young Cridlin, finding out that the cause of 
this popularity was a package of homemade ginger cakes 
that Mr. Mathews brought each Sunday under his cloak, 
at once longed to be big enough to enter that class. His 
parents dying when he was quite young, the boy went to 
live with a cousin, where, working on a farm, he soon 
forgot the little learning that the old-field school had 
given him. The family of Whites with whom he lived 
were not churchgoers, and his religious opportunities 
were few. He did, however, go once to a camp meeting, 
and, left outside, heard, from behind the pulpit, a sermon 
that greatly touched his heart. Upon returning home he 
asked his cousin's wife to teach him to pray, and, 
although not a praying woman, she told him the 
publican's prayer, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Not 
only then, in the field, in the stable, in the woods, did the 

379 



380 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

boy make this prayer, but even through life this soul-cry 
was his. Mr. Cridlin always believed that this call of his 
child heart was heard, and that then he was converted. 
Before long he went to Richmond to live with an older 
brother, and was there put with Mr. George Ainslie, 
coach maker, to learn this business, and here he remained 
until 1858. He now went to a night school, so anxious 
was he to advance in his studies, and a good woman took 
him to the Pine Apple Episcopal Church Sunday School, 
a church standing on the corner of Franklin and 
Eighteenth Streets. Here he became fond of his teacher 
and of the pastor. This church was burned and he went 
for a time to St. John's Episcopal Church. He became 
careless, however, about going to Sunday school, and one 
Sunday, as he was setting out for a stroll, he was passing 
the Second Baptist Church, on Main Street, when a boy 
asked him to go into his Sunday school. He accepted, 
and was put into the class of Mr. Hooper, Mr. H. K. 
Ellyson being the superintendent of the school. Later 
he was in the class of Mr. John McCarthy at the First 
Baptist Church. During a protracted meeting at the 
Leigh Street Baptist Church, whose pastor was Rev. E. J. 
Willis, Mr. Cridlin was induced by his friend and shop- 
mate, W. B. Johnson, to attend these services. He made 
a profession of religion and was baptized by the pastor. 
At once the young man began to take an active part in 
religious work, and one night, as they walked home from 
prayer-meeting together, Deacon A. B. Clarke stopped 
him just as they were at St. John's Church and asked 
him if he had ever thought whether it was his duty to 
preach. About this time there was a group of young men 
in the Leigh Street Church who were thinking about the 
ministry, A. B. and A. P. Woodfin, George B. Smith, 
and Royal Figg being among the number. By the help 
of the Ladies' Society of the church, who paid all of his 



RANSDELL WHITE CRIDLIN 381 

expenses, Mr. Cridlin was enabled to go to the Green 
Plain Academy, Southampton County, to begin his 
preparation for the ministry. Since he was the only stu- 
dent in the school who was a Christian he felt doubly 
that he must let his light shine, so he studied with zeal, 
organized a Sunday school in the Academy, and finally 
preached before the students and teachers his first 
sermon, his text being John 3:16. A revival followed, 
and fifteen of the young men accepted Christ, but never 
again, to the end of his life, did he preach from this text. 
During his vacations he did colporteur work in South- 
ampton, Sussex, and Amelia Counties, and after the 
revival, while going on with his studies, supplied Hebron 
and Zion Churches. At the close of the session the stu- 
dents presented him with six volumes of Olshausen's 
Commentary as a token of their appreciation of his 
services for them. The War interrupted his course at 
Richmond College, begun in 1860, and he became a 
missionary among the soldiers, doing work in the camps 
and hospitals on the Potomac River, at Mathias Point, 
Craney Island, Norfolk, and Portsmouth. He was 
licensed to preach July 30, 1860, and having received his 
commission as chaplain of the 38th Virginia Regiment, 
June 9, 1863, he was, on the following December 6th, 
ordained. The presbytery, consisting of these preachers, 
Thomas Hume, Sr., J. B. Harwicke, T. C. Keene, John 
M. Butler, William M. Young, ordained, at the same 
time, Joseph F. Deans. During the Seven Days battles 
around Richmond the hospital became very much 
crowded, and often Mr. Cridlin helped lay to rest as 
many as fifty soldiers a day. He shared with his regi- 
ment all the dangers of the battlefield, removing the 
wounded from the zone of fire and helping in other ways. 
On to the end of the War he was with his command. 
He baptized many of his fellow-soldiers, sometimes 



382 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

under the very guns of the enemy. One whom he bap- 
tized was Captain Chas. F. James, Company F, 8th Vir- 
ginia Regiment, who afterwards became an able preacher 
and educator. Once, near Chester, he and his negro 
servant were preparing a pond for baptism when the 
enemy, thinking that he was throwing up breastworks, 
began to shell the place. The sen-ice was postponed. 
His brigade, at the end, in appreciation of his work for 
them, presented him with a magnificent horse, with 
saddle and bridle, the gift having cost them $1,200. 
After the surrender at Appomattox he became Principal 
of the Salem Academy, Chesterfield County, and the 
following spring became pastor of the Salem and Hepzi- 
bah (or Branch's) Churches. On November 1, 1866, he 
was married to Miss Mary E. Burgess, the daughter of 
Mr. William Burgess, of Chesterfield County. She lived 
only a year, the injuries received in a fall from a runaway 
horse causing her death. His second wife, also of 
Chesterfield County, to whom he was married January 1 , 
1869, was Miss Emma H. Snellings. 

In May, 1871, he became pastor of the Fourth Street 
Church, Portsmouth, where he remained until August, 
1874. After serving eighteen months as missionary of 
the Middle District Association he became pastor of the 
Red Lane, Fine Creek, and Peterville Churches, Pow- 
hatan County, and from there he returned to Portsmouth 
to become once more pastor of the Fourth Street Church. 
In connection with this pastorate he was also Superin- 
tendent of the Portsmouth Orphan Asylum. It was 
while he was in this twofold work that "Corvejon," in 
the Religious Herald, called attention to his marked 
personal likeness to Dr. A. E. Dickinson, and spoke 
further, as follows, of him : " . Brother Cridlin 

is quite a nabob. He lives in a princely mansion on the 
edge of the sea — rides in his own buggy, catches his own 



RANSDELL WHITE CRIDLIN 383 

crabs, cultivates a mammoth garden, and lives like an 
admiral. But withal he cleaves to the Lord with full 
purpose of heart, works patiently on his sermons, 
watches for the souls of his people, and lives for eternity. 
. . . He is a fluent, easy speaker, with a mellow, 
pleasant voice. His sermons are evangelical in doctrine, 
addressed to the hearts and consciences of his people, and 
often delivered in great fervor and tenderness." His 
next work was at Brambleton, where from a mission a 
church was organized, under his care, with nineteen 
members. This church is now known as the Park 
Avenue (Norfolk) Church. At this time he was also 
pastor of Salem, Mulberry, and Kempsville Churches, 
Portsmouth Association. While on his next field, which 
was in the Dover Association and was composed of the 
churches, Winns, Berea, and Deep Run, he established 
the Beulah Hill Institute. 

The next period of his life was given, in the main, to 
education. Upon the suggestion of Rev. M. F. Sanford, 
and with the financial cooperation of Mr. J. D. Brad- 
shaw, he established at Burkeville, Va., the Southside 
Female Institute. Here, with the cooperation of his 
resourceful wife, he kept up for a series of years a school 
that enabled scores of young women to secure an educa- 
tion. In 1902, upon the death of Mr. Bradshaw, and 
because of other things, he was led to sell the Burkeville 
property and set up, at Amelia Court House, the Otter- 
burne Springs Institute. He gave up this work to become 
pastor of the Stockton Street Church, Manchester (now 
South Richmond), where he was to render his last public 
services. While here, in 1906, his wife, who had been 
his comfort and help for thirty-eight years, passed away, 
and two years later his failing health made it imperative 
that he resign his church. After this, however, with fine 
dauntlessness and energy, he set up and conducted the 



384 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Virginia Teachers' Agency and Bureau of Information 
for Pastoral Supply, one of his daughters rendering him 
much assistance. This work he maintained for five 
years, though most of this time he was confined to his 
bed or his home. His energy was wonderful, and then, 
at last, on the afternoon of Sunday, June 22, 1913, he 
fell on sleep. His funeral at Stockton Street Church, and 
the burial at Riverview Cemetery were both according to 
the directions he had given in a letter to his son. His 
children who survive him are William Broaddus Cridlin, 
Ransdell Chiles Cridlin, Mrs. L. B. Lloyd, and Misses 
Addie and Nettie Cridlin. 



JOHN KERR FAULKNER 
1834-1913 

On April 3, 1834, Mr. William A. Faulkner and his 
wife, Mary Anne (Crawley), needed a name for a boy, 
since on that day there had come into their home, near 
Black Walnut, Halifax County, Virginia, their first son. 
Some six years before this time Rev. John Kerr, a 
brilliant and popular preacher, who had spent some of his 
earlier ministry in Halifax, became pastor of the First 
Baptist Church, Richmond, Va: So Mr. Faulkner, "an 
influential and highly esteemed citizen," named his son 
after the Richmond preacher. Young Faulkner had good 
educational opportunities, for he graduated first at the 
University of Virginia in Philosophy and Political 
Economy, and at a later period attended Richmond Col- 
lege. In the former institution, among his fast friends 
were Thomas Hume, Jr., and William Kable. He was 
one of the charter members of the University Y. M. C. A. 
After leaving the University he taught for a year or so 
in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. In 1861, when 
the noise of war was in the land, he was ordained by 
Black Walnut, his mother church, and became pastor of 
Aaron's Creek Church. In 1867, when he was still in 
charge of this church, being a missionary of the State 
Mission Board, he reported that there had been thirty- 
two additions to the church by baptism. Before his 
labors in the Dan River Association closed, besides the 
Aaron's Creek Church he had these churches also : Fork, 
Musterfield, Clover, Dan River, Mill Stone, and Laurel 
Grove, all in Halifax County. At this period he also 
ministered to Sandy Creek, in North Carolina. Think 

385 



386 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

of his busy life when more than one year he was preach- 
ing to five churches. From about 1889 some ten years 
of his life's service were given to the Rappahannock 
Association, where he preached for these churches : 
Clark's Neck, Zoar, Ebenezer, Spring Hill, and Urbanna. 
His ministry outside of Virginia was as pastor at Kins- 
ton, Newton, Ephesus, Lincolnton, Kid's Chapel, Fellow- 
ship, Winterville, and Castoria, all in North Carolina, 
and at Fort Mill, South Carolina. "His last pastorate 
was held, amidst advancing years and waning strength, 
with the Alton and Semora Churches, south of the Dan, 
and when no longer able to pursue his sacred calling he 
retired to a home near Buffalo Junction, filled with the 
joyful hopes of the gospel which he had so long preached, 
and soothed with the love and veneration of countless 
grateful hearts to whom he had ministered in his toilsome 
life." 

In 1861, soon after his ordination, he was married to 
Miss Lavenia Victoria Chandler (eldest daughter of 
Thomas Chandler and Sally Anne Puryear), of Green- 
ville County, North Carolina, with whom he was to spend 
over forty years of happy wedded life, a union broken 
by her death, on April 20, 1900. During her last painful 
and protracted illness he gave up his church to minister 
to her. The three children who survive their parents 
are Dr. Thomas H. Faulkner, a well-known dentist, of 
Kinston, N. C. ; J. B. Faulkner, manager of the Western 
Union Telegraph Company, Richmond; and Mary 
Emma, the wife of the Rev. James Long, of Goldsboro, 
N. C. 

Evidences of the worth and usefulness of this man of 
God abound. For twelve successive years he was chosen 
clerk of the Dan River Association, and for six, 
treasurer, and no less than four times did this body 
choose him as the preacher of their introductory sermon. 



JOHN KERR FAULKNER 387 

One in a position to know, said of him : "He was perhaps 
as well known and as deservedly loved as any minister 
that ever lived in Halifax. His piety, his amiability, and 
sympathetic disposition made him a welcome visitor in 
the homes of the people and especially to those with 
whom and for whom he labored. He was not regarded 
as a brilliant preacher, but was strong, tender, and 
thoroughly evangelical." Another, who was his neigh- 
bor, thus testifies to his life and influence: "He was a 
finished scholar and a strong gospel preacher. Through- 
out his life he scrupulously obeyed the Scripture injunc- 
tion as to giving. On looking through his papers since 
his decease they show that at the end of each year he 
footed up his accounts, showing what the gross income 
of all his resources was, and that he gave more than one- 
tenth. You can not say anything too high or beautiful 
as to his character — it was as near perfect as that of any 
man I have ever known. He was an incorruptible man, 
who brought up his children in the fear of God, and his 
daily life was an example worthy of imitation." The 
text — "For I determined not to know anything among 
you save Jesus Christ and him crucified" — from which, 
in August, 1860, he preached at Black Walnut Church, 
his first sermon, came to be a motto and standard in his 
life. When he had preached fifty years, he said : "I have 
never been on the platform as lecturer, on the stump as 
haranguer, on the arena with 'strange vagaries,' or on 
the mart for doubtful emoluments ; but have been content 
to be only a preacher of the gospel and pastor of 
churches — all the way up to the present time." At this 
time his face, while showing the marks of age, had the 
strength of a Roman senator blended with the peace of 
a victorious child of God. Once a brother pastor in the 
same county sought to break up Mr. Faulkner's "field," 
being anxious for one of the churches himself. After- 






388 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

wards this man came to grief and his family was in 
want. He came to see Mr. Faulkner. Excusing himself, 
Mr. Faulkner slipped out of the parlor long enough to 
say to his daughter : "See that a sack of flour and some 

other provisions are put into Brother buggy, and 

do not say anything about it or let him see how it gets 
there. The wife and children will find it when he reaches 
home. They need it." He died in Richmond at the 
Retreat for "the Sick at 8 a. m., August 1, 1913. On 
Sunday. August 3. his hody was laid to rest beside that 
of his wife in the Chandler burying ground in Granville 
Countv, North Carolina. 






JOHN ALEXANDER SPEIGHT 

1840-1913 

While North Carolina was the birthplace of John 
Alexander Speight, no inconsiderable part of his ministry 
was spent in Virginia. He served various churches in 
the territory covered by the old Portsmouth Association, 
and at the time of his death was pastor of the Sunbeam 
Baptist Church, in Southampton County, a church that 
was organized in 1907. This Sunbeam Church, which 
with Elam Church, North Carolina, formed his field at 
his death, was especially dear to his heart, since under 
his leadership it had made a wonderful record, its 
membership having grown in seven years from seventeen 
to one hundred and nine. This preacher and another 
preacher, Rev. T. T. Speight, at present living in Wind- 
sor, N. C, came from the home of a preacher, their 
father having been Rev. Henry Speight. Henry Speight 
and Olivia Pruden, his wife, were godly people, she being 
of Huguenot extraction. Although it is stated that the 
son, John, had little preparation for college save an 
irregular attendance upon the neighborhood schools, still 
it must be remembered that the influence of such pious 
parents was a superior preparation for college and for 
life. He graduated, however, at Columbian College, 
Washington, D. C, and in later years was given the 
degree of Doctor of Divinity by Judson College. He was 
born May 25, 1840, and celebrated his twenty- first birth- 
day in an army camp in Virginia. This fact shows how 
promptly he had cast in his lot with the forces of the 



389 



390 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

been wounded twice and had endured the unusual priva- 
tion of a prisoner. He was captured at Winchester and 
again at Gettysburg, and spent eighteen months at Point 
Lookout and a season at Fort Delaware. During the 
War he was a member of the Gates' Guards, Company B, 
5th Regiment of Infantry. In 1865 he came home "with 
his parole in his pocket and a sweetheart in his eye." 
N<»r was it long before this sweetheart, Miss Elizabeth 
Williams, of Gates County, became his wife. "She made 
his home happy. She bore him sons and daughters. She 
blessed his li fe." 

Scarcely had a year passed, after the surrender at 
Appomattox, before he was a minister of the gospel in 
charge of a church. His ordination took place at Middle 
Swamp Baptist Church, in his native county, the church 
of which his father was pastor for years and which he 
himself had joined when he was thirteen years old. His 
ministry in North Carolina was with "Cashie Church, 
Windsor, with its century and a third of blessed memo- 
ries," and with "Ross, with its simple faith and trustful' 
folk and genuine hope," and finally with Elam. In Vir- 
ginia the churches he served, besides Sunbeam, were 
West End (Petersburg), St. John's, North West, Kemps- 
ville, Centerville, Mulberry, Deep Creek, and Bethel. 
Besides his service for the kingdom as a preacher he 
spent some years as an editor, the Atlantic Baptist, of 
Norfolk, the Asheville Baptist, of Asheville, N. C, and 
the Biblical Recorder, of Raleigh, N. C, being the papers 
with which he was connected. 

The wound that he received at Gettysburg led to his 
death. About three years before his end he was attacked 
by a cancer which finally overcame him. In July it was 
his joy to be at the veterans' reunion on the famous 
Pennsylvania battlefield and to preach to his old com- 
rades and foes, and on the last day of the next month he 



JOHN ALEXANDER SPEIGHT 391 

answered the summons to a nobler and an unending 
reunion. The body was buried in Magnolia Cemetery, 
Berkley, the services being conducted by Rev. Dr. Vernon 
I' Anson, assisted by Rev. O. C. Davis, Rev. T. T. 
Speight, Rev. T. M. Green, Rev. L. E. Dailey, and Rev. 
J. H. Pearcy. On September 7, 1913, resolutions of 
affection and respect were passed by the Sunbeam Church. 



JAMES PASCHAL LUCK 
1856-1913 

John P. Luck, having come to this country from 
England, settled in Caroline County, and later purchased 
a farm in Botetourt County, near what is now Hollins 
College, where he kept for many years a tavern known 
as the "Black Horse Stand." Tradition says that Presi- 
dent Andrew Jackson often put up at the "Black Horse" 
on his way back and forth between Tennessee and Wash- 
ington. His son, George P. Luck, purchased a farm on 
the head waters of Goose Creek, Bedford County, and 
here passed all his married life. His second wife was 
Miss Nannie Buford, a daughter of Mr. Abraham 
Buford and a niece of Captain Paschal Buford, a man of 
distinction in Bedford. This Mrs. Luck was a woman 
of deep piety, and after many years her prayers were 
answered in the conversion of her husband, who finally 
became a Baptist minister. One of the ten children of 
this couple was James Paschal Luck, who was given at 
least a part of his maternal uncle's name. He was born 
August 4, 1856, at his father's home in Goose Creek 
Valley. This valley, lying at the base of the Peaks of 
Otter, that lift their heads some 4,000 feet into the air, 
is perhaps the most fertile section of Bedford County, 
being famous, especially, for its fine tobacco. Of this 
tobacco there were shipped, in seven months of 1886, 
from Montvale, the railroad station for Goose Creek, 
510.550 pounds. 

One could follow the life of Mr. Luck to the end with- 
out leaving Bedford County or going out of sight of the 
Peaks of Otter, save for the most brief seasons. Here 

392 



JAMES PASCHAL LUCK 393 

he lived and did his work. From the training of the 
public schools he passed, at an early age, into business, 
working first on the farm, then in a store, and then 
becoming a commercial traveler for a Richmond firm. 
He made a profession of religion when about seventeen 
years old, but after a season of activity in religious 
service the temptations of the world caused his faith to 
grow dim and cast a dark shadow over him. While in 
business in Missouri he was made quite lame for several 
months by a kick on his knee by a horse. He returned to 
his father's home, and during a protracted meeting at the 
old home church renewed his vows to God and yielded 
to a call that he had resisted for some time, a call to 
preach. Since he dared not go forth to this new work 
without fuller preparation, he became a student, first at 
Sunnyside Academy, where that born teacher and man 
of God, Rev. Alexander Eubank, was Principal, and then 
at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

On September 16, 1887, at Walnut Grove, he was 
ordained to the gospel ministry, which was to be his 
constant and loved employment to the day of his death. 
In the course of these twenty-six years he was pastor, in 
some cases for short periods, of these seventeen churches, 
all in the Strawberry Association : Beaver Dam, Mt. 
Olivet, Mountain View, Timber Ridge, Wolf Hill, New 
Prospect, Suck Spring, Diamond Hill, Morgan's, Flint 
Hill, Mt. Hermon, Shady Grove, Staunton, Thaxton, 
Big Island, Hunting Creek, Mt. Zion. To Suck Spring, 
however, he ministered longest, his service there extend- 
ing over twenty-five years ; his next longest pastorate 
was with the Mt. Olivet Church. If there could be 
added to this catalogue the names of the churches where 
he helped in protracted meetings, it would probably 
appear that every church in the Strawberry had heard 
this ambassador for God. He had evangelistic gifts, and 



394 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

doubtless many "in that day" will point to him as the 
one who led them to Christ. As a pastor he was a good 
preacher and "mild mannered, magnetic, approachable, 
thoughtful, sympathetic, and friendly to all, saints and 
sinners." His bent for business, which he followed in 
earlier years, was recognized by his fellow-citizens in 
after years, for they often came to him for advice and 
urged him once to run for the House of Delegates and 
once for the State Senate. These invitations did not 
attract him, for his heart was in a higher calling. For 
several sessions he presided with dignity as the moderator 
of the Strawberry Association. 

For two years before the end he suffered from heart 
trouble, and this disease caused his sudden death. On 
Friday afternoon, November 13, 1913, he was in Bed- 
ford City until five o'clock. After conducting his family 
worship at nine o'clock, he was in the act of retiring 
when in a moment the end came. Although the day of 
the funeral and burial was rainy, a large company 
gathered at his residence, and a procession almost a mile 
long followed the body to its last resting place, in Oak- 
wood Cemetery, Bedford City. The sermon was 
preached by Rev. J. A. Barnhardt, who was assisted in 
the service by Rev. C. T. Kincannon. Mr. Luck was sur- 
vived by his widow (nee Georgia Fizer) and six sons 
and one daughter, namely : George, Manly, Alva, 
Paschal, Gilbert, Calvin, and Estelle. 



AUGUSTUS BEVERLY WOODFIN 

1838-1913 

On December 2, 1833, a company of eleven, going 
forth, in the main, from the Second Baptist Church, 
organized the Third Baptist Church, of Richmond, 
known to-day as the Grace Street Baptist Church. 
Among this little band were Mr. and Mrs. George Wood- 
fin. Mr. Woodfin was a man of high character and rare 
intelligence, who wielded a strong religious influence. 
He served in the War of 1812. His wife was a woman 
of deep piety. He was a native of Prince Edward 
County, but spent most of his life in Richmond. About 
twenty-one years after the establishment of the Grace 
Street Church, Mr. Woodfin was one of those who helped 
to organize the Leigh Street Baptist Church. He died in 
Powhatan County in 1864. Of these parents, on March 
21, 1838, Augustus Beverly Woodfin was born, in Rich- 
mond, Va. His student life began when he was only 
four years old, in a little school conducted by a Miss 
Smithers. When he was about twelve he became a pupil 
in Mr. David Turner's "somewhat famous classical 
school." Later he went to two other similar schools, one 
taught by E. W. Cone and the other by W. H. Chase. 
From his sixteenth to his nineteenth year he was deputy 
clerk of the Circuit Court, of Henrico County, and of the 
Hustings Court, of Petersburg. "In these positions he 
was brought under the influence of some of the greatest 
lawyers Virginia has ever produced, an influence dis- 
tinctly educational." In 1857 he entered Richmond Col- 
lege, and in 1861 graduated with the degree of Bachelor 
of Arts, the other members of the class being R. R. 

395 



396 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Bailey, C. W. Parish, Geo. M. Leftwich, R. S. Lindsay, 
John M. Pilcher, Geo. W. Prince, Wm. H. Williams, and 
A. Peyton Woodfin. Six of this nine were from Rich- 
mond, and four of this six became preachers. While 
Mr. Woodfin was at college a school of Modern Lan- 
guages was established, the professor for two years being- 
William Staughton Chase, son of Dr. Ira Chase and 
nephew of Dr. William Staughton. During these early 
days Mr. Woodfin, John M. Pilcher, and T. H. Ellett 
were close friends, and Mr. Pilcher declares that Mr. 
Woodfin's determination to become a minister helped him 
to decide to enter the same high calling. Under the 
preaching of Dr. Cornelius Tyree at Grace Street Church, 
Mr. Woodfin was converted, and when his course at 
Richmond College was completed he set out, in the fall 
of 1861, for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 
at Greenville, S. C. The War interrupted his studies at 
Greenville and he entered the army, becoming chaplain 
of the 61st Regiment of Gordon's Georgia Brigade, 
Army of Northern Virginia, his ordination at Muddy 
Creek, Powhatan County, having taken place in October, 
1862. He continued in the army till the close of the con- 
flict, and then taught school for a season in Cumberland 
County. W r hile here, on January 12, 1865, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Mary Isabella Abrahams, the ceremony 
being performed by Dr. Cornelius Tyree. As the result 
of a trip that Mr. Woodfin and John William Jones took 
through the Valley of Virginia in the fall of 1865, Mr. 
Woodfin became pastor of the Mt. Crawford and Laurel 
Ridge Churches, the former being not far from Harrison- 
burg and the latter some seven miles from Staunton. 
During this pastorate there was a revival of far-reaching 
power in the Mt. Crawford Church, many heads of 
families being added to the church. While Mr. Woodfin 
was on this field, living at the village of Bridgewater, he 



AUGUSTUS BEVERLY WOODFIN 397 

and George B. Taylor, who was pastor at Staunton, 
enjoyed a fellowship that was helpful to both of them. 
Once when Woodfin was a guest in Taylor's home, at 
the supper table the host said : "Brother Woodfin, have 
some more preserves." And the answer came : "Thank 
you, Brother Taylor, I will take some, but I have not 
had any yet." One year when the Association was meet- 
ing with their church, Mr. Woodfin and his wife enter- 
tained some twenty-five guests. "Only the older guests 
occupied beds ; the others rested on ticks filled with hay 
laid about the rooms. Perhaps little sleeping was done, 
as Dr. W. F. Broaddus was in the company, and on such 
occasions he usually entertained his roommates all night." 
In December, 1868, after a brief pastorate at Coving- 
ton, Ky., he took charge of the St. Francis Street Church, 
Mobile, Ala. With this important and influential church 
he remained about six years, his work being highly 
successful. There were two hundred and twenty-five 
added to the membership, and the meeting-house was 
enlarged at a cost of $30,000. After two years as pastor 
of the First Baptist Church, Columbia, S. C, he became 
chaplain of the University of Virginia. The two years 
at the University were thoroughly enjoyed by Dr. Wood- 
fin and by the people to whom he preached. Dr. Woodfin 
was scholarly in his aptitudes, and a great lover of books, 
and fond of thinking through religious and philosophical 
problems. One of the professors, a regular attendant 
upon the chapel exercises, greatly annoyed Dr. Woodfin 
by sitting through the sermon with his face in his hands. 
A tactful suggestion from Dr. Woodfin was cordially 
received by the distinguished teacher, who buried his face 
in his hands no more. He was a careful sermonizer and a 
graceful speaker. An extract from a tribute to him, from 
the pen of Dr. W. R. L. Smith, written after Dr. Wood- 
fin's death, may well be introduced here. Dr. Smith said : 



398 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

"What a preacher ! Not for occasions, which hampered 
him by inevitable artificiality, but for the usual and quiet 
ministration. A wizard was he in capturing the hidden 
meanings of a passage. His interpreting faculty gave 
challenge to a text like a spiritual bandit; his analysis 
was a divine surgery, and the sermon structure was a 
gem of the homiletic art. Ah, there was a sermonizer 
whose craftsmanship was the despair of so many of his 
brethren. He was with me in meetings in Lynchburg, 
1888. One discourse on 'Justification by Faith' was a 
masterpiece. Thought, passion, and diction blended in 
triumphant oratory. Uncommon power was on him, and 
he carried the burden of great ideas with the agility and 
grace of an athlete. It was one of the rarest sermons I 
ever heard." 

From the University, Dr. Woodfin returned to Ala- 
bama, becoming pastor of the First Baptist Church, of 
Montgomery. From here he moved, in 1884, to Hamp- 
ton, where he remained for some twenty years as pastor 
of the Baptist Church of that town. This was the longest 
and perhaps the most useful of his several pastorates. 
When he went to Hampton the church reported a mem- 
bership of 142. and before he left the enrollment had 
reached the high mark of 408. Failing health made it 
necessary for him to take a field where the burdens were 
less heavy, and so he accepted a call to Waynesboro, a 
beautiful town in the Valley of Virginia. This was his 
last pastorate. After some eight years here he was 
obliged to give up active work. A surgical operation 
was not thoroughly successful, and the three remaining 
years were full of suffering, but he was patient to the 
end. Much of this time he spent in the home of his son, 
Mr. G. W. Woodfin, in Atlanta. Here his summons to 
depart came December 24, 1913. According to his 
request his body was laid to rest in the East Hill Ceme- 



AUGUSTUS BEVERLY WOODFIN 399 

tery, Salem, Va. His wife and five children, namely: 
Mrs. John Lewis Cobbs, Mr. George Wyclyffe Woodfin, 
Mrs. Edgar Lyle Justice, Mrs. George R. Hood, and 
Mr. Paul Beverly Woodfin, survived him. 

Besides his work for his particular church, Dr. Wood- 
fin took an active part in the work of the denomination. 
He was Vice-President of the Virginia Orphanage 
Trustees, a member of the Educational Commission, and, 
in 1909, Vice-President of the General Association of 
Virginia. He was a Mason. He loved his brethren, and 
was fond of their company. He was genial, and ready 
to hear and to tell a good story. To quote again from 
Dr. Smith : "His presence was sunshine, his mind was 
intellectual keenness, and his heart was a magazine of 
human charities. He was the type of man who com- 
mands confidence to the end, and for whom admiration 
never limps. He was more diffident than his abilities 
justified. The nature of his high endowment would 
easily have sustained more self-assertion." He greatly 
admired the noble women whom he knew, and was 
always a favorite with the women. This does not 
mean that he was not vigorous in thought and fearless 
in his contention for the truth, for he was ; but he was 
courtly in his grace and gentle in word and manner, and 
he was comely in person, and always most scrupulously 
neat and careful in his dress. Yet he was always popular 
with men, and held his own in a gathering of men, 
whether it was with timely anecdote or able discussion. 
His power as a preacher has already been mentioned, but 
it may be well to quote yet another testimony on this 
matter. Dr. C. T. Herndon, in his obituary, says : 
"Dr. Woodfin was a preacher of unusual ability. He 
had a strong and well-furnished mind. He thought 
clearly and had the power to express his thoughts in lucid 
and strong English. He loved to preach, and was a tire- 
less sermon maker." 



JAMES MAGRUDER THOMAS 

1862-1914 

On the long roll of beloved Baptist preachers the name 
of Rev. James Magruder Thomas is affectionately and 
with tender memories revered by those who knew him 
best. James Magruder Thomas was born January 25, 
1862, at Severn, Va., and died at Zanoni, Va., January 
14, 1914. Between these years the impress of his charac- 
ter, so full of generosity, courtesy, and cheer, is indelibly 
written on the hearts of loving relatives and a broad 
circle of admiring friends. Most of his life was lived in 
the immediate section of lower Gloucester County, Vir- 
ginia. Brother Thomas always smilingly informed 
strangers that he came from "Guinea," and with mingled 
pride and humor he told of this native homeland. 

Provincially, "Guinea" is known as the fishermen's 
country, down in Tidewater where the salt tides indent 
the shores. The broad York River, the Mobjack Bay, 
and the Severn River hem in these folks, and habitually 
the men follow the water as naturally as the fish swim 
to and fro. In the Severn River section the Thomas 
family is most prominent. For many generations their 
success and their homes here have made them well 
known. Of all the salt-water fishermen, Captain James 
Thomas, father of Rev. J. M. Thomas, is to-day remem- 
bered as the most prosperous. His family consisted of 
twelve children, five girls and seven sons. In time 
Brother Jim's six brothers followed the water, he alone 
choosing a different career. So handsome in appearance, 
so courtly in manner, in early manhood he was familiarly 
referred to as "good-looking Jim" — an epitaph which 

400 



JAMES MAGRUDER THOMAS 401 

followed among his friends during a lifetime. He was 
a gentleman "to the manner born," his tastes were 
aesthetic, his mind alert and appreciative as a student. 
His fondness for books, for music, and study forecast his 
life work. Who knows but that his ideals were wrought 
in the little one-room schoolhouse, taught "in the long 
ago" by Miss Alice J. Thornton, a faithful, untiring 
teacher, whom lower Gloucester County may wisely 
honor for her sacrifice to those students who in later 
years have become prominent in citizenship ! Near by 
this old school stands Union Baptist Church — both strong 
factors in the educational and spiritual development of 
James M. Thomas. There is doubt of whether any 
serious love affair marked his life. He was a gifted 
singer, and at one time a favorite daughter of a Baptist 
pastor and young Jim were often thought to have been 
sweethearts. She presided at the church organ and he 
led in the singing. Since Brother Thomas never married 
there is no one to know if his heart's love was ever lost 
or won. 

When he was a splendid boy of fourteen years of age 
he accepted Christ as his Saviour. His baptism took 
place a few miles from his home at Sagey Creek, an inlet 
of York River, in August, 1876. He united with Union 
Baptist Church and was long an esteemed member in 
Gloucester County, Virginia. During a tent-meeting 
held by the Friends' Holiness Association during the 
summer of 1899, scores of church members made new 
consecration, and Brother James Thomas declared at 
these humble services he heard the call to preach the 
gospel. Following his conviction, in 1900 Brother 
Thomas entered Richmond College, where he remained 
two years. In 1902 he entered the Baptist Theological 
Seminary, Louisville, Ky., and received his first call to 
preach in 1903. In 1905 he was ordained at Louisville, 



26 



402 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Ky., accepting the work of Nansemar Baptist Church 
and the chapels in Charles County, Maryland. 

On the third Sunday in June, 1913, Brother Thomas 
was taken ill — paralyzed — and fell in the pulpit after 
preaching his sermon. Continuing sick until January 
3, 1914, at his sister's home (Mrs. R. C. Smith) at 
Zanoni, in Gloucester County, he died. The simple 
funeral services were conducted by Rev. S. T. Habel, 
then pastor of Union Baptist Church, and the beloved 
form was laid away in the shadow of the old church he 
cherished in "Guinea" — the scene of happy boyhood days. 

Daisy Rowe Craig. 



JOSEPH FRANCIS BILLINGSLEY 

1839-1913 

John Ashcum Billingsley was born in St. Mary's 
County, Maryland, April 24, 1770, and died at his home, 
"Salem," in Spottsylvania County, Virginia, August 1, 
1837. His son, John Ashcum Billingsley, was born at 
"Salem" on February 11, 1817, and died April 12, 1893. 
Joseph Francis Billingsley, one of sixteen children, was 
the son of John Ashcum Billingsley and his second wife, 
who was, before her marriage, Miss Johnson. He 
was born at "Salem," February 10, 1839. These three 
men, of three generations, were Baptist preachers. A 
sketch of the first of this trio is found in the "Lives of 
Virginia Baptist Ministers," First Series, and in the 
Fourth Series is a sketch of the second, and now, accord- 
ing to the prophecy in the Fourth Series, here is a sketch 
of the third. 

With such an ancestry and brought up in an atmos- 
phere of piety, it is not surprising that Joseph Francis 
Billingsley became a member of Hebron Church at the 
age of ten and later an earnest preacher. Dr. Beale says 
that "in the homes in which his early years were spent 
the altar of prayer was sacredly maintained and the Bible 
was daily read." From the vicinity of King George 
Court House, where much of his early life was passed, 
he went to reside in Washington City. While living 
there, although not ordained to the gospel ministry, he 
"engaged actively in evangelistic services, often exhort- 
ing crowds on the street." In 1895 he returned to Vir- 
ginia to live, making his home in Westmoreland County 
with two of his married daughters. On October 1, 1898, 

403 



404 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

he was licensed to preach by the Pope's Creek Baptist 
Church, and on November 26, 1899, was ordained at the 
Hebron Baptist Church. On this occasion the presbytery- 
was composed of these ministers : Rev. Dr. L. J. Haley, 
Rev. W. J. Decker, and Rev. E. P. Hawkins. His work 
as a preacher was done in the Hermon Association, 
where he was pastor, first and last, of these churches : 
Belle Air, Travelers' Rest, Providence, Mt. Hermon, and 
Mt. Horeb. The last years of his life were spent in the 
Northern Neck of Virginia, where he preached as oppor- 
tunity offered and rendered other ministerial services. 
He died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Belfield, at 
Stratford, Va., December 26, 1913, and the body was 
laid to rest at Providence Methodist Episcopal Church, 
Westmoreland County, Virginia. At the very time of 
his death the funeral of his brother, a gallant Confeder- 
ate captain, was taking place in an adjoining county. 

Of Mr. Billingsley, Dr. Beale says: "As a speaker he 
was clear, entertaining, and effective, and possessed a 
commanding and vigorous fervor and a distinct and 
resonant voice. He was wont to carry with him, as a 
sort of vade me cum, a scrapbook in which were recorded 
incidents which he might use in his sermons, impressive 
illustrations, and literary gems." He was tall and of 
heavy build. His manner was quick and alert. He was 
a man of strong will and stern demeanor, yet his was a 
loving disposition. He had a keen sense of humor and 
knew how to rise above the petty annoyances of life. He 
was generous almost to a fault, and a self-sacrificing and 
loving father. He was of strong likes and dislikes, and 
was fearless in his denunciation of that which he did not 
approve. He was most loyal to his friends and charitable 
to those whose ways he did not endorse. He was a 
typical man's man, his few faults serving as a back- 
ground to bring out more fully his excellent traits. 



JOSEPH FRANCIS BILLINGSLEY 405 

His wife, to whom he was married on November 4, 
1856, and who survived him, was, before her marriage, 
Miss Almira Virginia Price, daughter of Abner B. Price. 
Of the seven children of this marriage, three, namely : 
Almira Virginia, Frank Connor, and Mary Mildred 
(wife of James T. Trew, Baynesville, Va. ), have passed 
away. Those still living are Laura Kate, the wife of 
George W. Henderson, Washington, D. C. ; Clara Belle, 
the wife of David C. Belfield, Stratford, Va. ; Leslie 
Ogle, Washington; Chastain M., Philadelphia. 



GEORGE COOPER 

1841-1914 

"Scotland and Canada bore him, England and Vir- 
ginia received him, Philadelphia, 'The City of Brotherly 
Love,' holds him." On December 27, 1812, near the 
village of Dunse, Berwickshire, Scotland, James Cooper 
was born. After having been for seven years an appren- 
tice at the cabinet-maker's trade, in the town of Kelso, 
where the saintly Horatius Bonar lived, he moved to 
Edinburgh. Here he decided to become a minister, and 
here he was married, in 1839, to Miss Jessie Sutherland. 
The next year, his views as to baptism having changed, 
he left the Presbyterian Church, and in September, 1840, 
was baptized in the Charlotte Chapel by Rev. Christopher 
Anderson, author of the "Annals of the English Bible." 
On the tenth day of the following December there was 
born to Mr. Cooper and his wife a son, who was given 
his grandfather's name, George. After having pursued 
his studies for several years, part of this time sitting at 
the feet of the famous Sir William Hamilton, in 1843 
Mr. Cooper emigrated to Canada. Here he spent thirty- 
six years, being a successful and esteemed pastor and 
leader among the Canadian Baptists, and then, having 
returned to his native land, on Sunday, January 16, 1881, 
he passed away. 

At Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, where his father had 
much to do with the establishment of Woodstock College, 
George Cooper was converted, and baptized by his father, 
December 27, 1857. Here there began a friendship 
between John Peddie, one of the elder Cooper's students, 
and George Cooper, a friendship which was to last 

406 



GEORGE COOPER 407 

through the years and until broken by death. From 
Woodstock young Cooper passed to Toronto University, 
where he graduated, and was the medalist in the Greek 
and Latin classics. In pursuance of his plan to make 
teaching his life work, he became a tutor in this Uni- 
versity, under Dr. McCaul, but in July, 1864, in one week 
his mother and little sister, Maggie, were laid low in 
death, and this bitter experience led the young man to 
turn his mind towards the ministry. Madison (now Col- 
gate) University, Hamilton, N. Y., became his theo- 
logical alma mater, and after graduating there, on June 
1, 1866, he was ordained at- North Attleboro, Mass. 
Here he began his work as pastor, and on June 12, 1867, 
was married to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Cole, of South 
Niagara Falls, Canada, the daughter of Jesse and Ann 
Hughes Cole. From Attleboro he passed to the pastor- 
ate of the Baptist Church at Gloversville, N. Y., and 
then, after serving the First Church (now Epiphany), 
West Philadelphia, and the Williamsport (Pennsylvania) 
Church, on the second Sunday in June, 1885, he became 
pastor of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. 

His Richmond pastorate, which continued until the 
last Sabbath of December, 1903, covered the years of 
Dr. Cooper's vigorous manhood and was the most dis- 
tinguished service of his ministry. "Throughout this, 
long and exacting pastorate, and with conspicuous zeal 
and devotion, Dr. Cooper cheerfully and vigilantly 
shepherded his large flock, literally knowing and calling 
each by name. Though he visited and ministered to his 
own people in season and out of season, and to an extent 
that greatly taxed his time and energy, his warm and 
sympathetic heart could not resist the appeals, voiceless, 
often, of sickness, distress, and sorrow, though they came 
from the community at large. His prayers at the bedside 
of the sick, and on the occasions of the last sad offices 



408 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

for the dead, were impressively and inimitably tender and 
felicitous." The First Baptist Church is one of the most 
historic among the Baptist churches of the South. It 
was founded in 1780, and has had as pastors dis- 
tinguished men ; to have served such a church faithfully 
for almost two decades is indeed a worthy record. 

In the denominational life of Virginia, Dr. Cooper 
bore an active part. Only a few weeks after his pastor- 
ate at the First Church began, he made an address at the 
Richmond Sunday School Association at Leigh Street to 
the children, "using a wordless book with four leaves — 
black, red, white, and gold — with which he symbolized 
the blackness of sin, the cleansing blood of Christ, the 
whiteness of redeemed souls, and the golden streets, 
crowns, and harps of the heavenly home." Not long 
after this, at the annual meeting of the Dover Association 
at Liberty Church, New Kent County, he took part in 
the discussions and preached "at the stand." For years 
he was a member of the Foreign Mission Board and 
Chairman of the Committee on China Missions. He was 
President of the State Mission Board and a member of 
the Richmond College Board of Trustees. He was 
closely connected with the establishment of the Baptist 
Orphanage of Virginia, being the chairman of a com- 
mittee appointed, upon his resolution, "to secure an 
expression on the subject from the various churches and 
Associations represented in this body, receive bids for 
location, hold in trust moneys and other contributions, 
and report to the next meeting of this Association such 
conclusions and plans as may be deemed by them wise 
and necessary to the end proposed." This was an impor- 
tant step in the establishment of the Orphanage, and on 
July 1, 1892, the institution was opened at Salem. 
Besides the work Dr. Cooper did in Virginia, he was on 
the governing boards of Bucknell University and Crozer 



GEORGE COOPER 409 

Theological Seminary, and took part in the work of the 
Southern Baptist Convention; he was the preacher of 
the Convention sermon at the session in Louisville, in 
1887. 

From a boy he was fond of a horse, and while he lived 
in Virginia he often spent his vacation, or a good part of 
it, on a horseback tour through the mountains. On these 
trips he had many amusing experiences. Since he was 
attired in "short riding trousers, a wide-brimmed hat," 
and wore no coat, there was nothing to indicate that he 
was a preacher, and to his great amusement he was taken 
"for a drummer, a fruit-tree seller, a guano man, a col- 
porteur, and a city tramp." On these trips he usually 
preached every Sunday, and on one trip, when he 
traveled three hundred and fifty miles, and when he was 
gone five Sundays, he preached twice every Sunday, save 
one. With all of his fondness for out-of-doors life, and 
his wonderful activity as a pastor, he was still a student 
with scholarly aptitudes. Dr. John Gordon said of him 
that "as a Greek scholar he had few peers," and told how 
a few weeks before his death he wrote to him, saying: 
"Please go into your Greek lexicon (mine are all boxed 
up) and get for me the history and use of this word. 
. . . I had rather have it than the best meal they can 
give me." Once in the Richmond Baptist Ministers' Con- 
ference the discussion was about the "Public Reading of 
the Scripture," and the paper was read by Dr. Cooper. 
After he read his paper, which "was a masterpiece," he 
seemed surprised when the ministers all agreed that he 
was "exceptionally skillful and impressive in the reading 
of the Bible." Dr. Cooper was warm-hearted, cordial in 
his manner, and companionable. Nor did he win the 
esteem of those of his own denomination only. Upon 
his resignation at Jenkintown, Pa., the rector of the 
Episcopal Church wrote to express his regret. In his 



410 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

letter he said : "You have been a leader and father to 
us, and your special place simply can not be filled. I have 
to think of the gap it means in our common work for our 
Master in this community, but at least there is the 
memory left of a most perfect and delightful coopera- 
tion — of that kind that ought to be always, but that too 
often human nature and perhaps the odium theologicum, 
too, prevent." After Dr. Cooper's death Dr. Strand, the 
Catholic priest in the same city, spoke beautifully from 
the pulpit about him and asked his congregation to 
remember him in their prayers. 

After resigning the First Church, Richmond, Dr. 
Cooper was pastor for a season at Media, Pa., and then 
came his last charge, which covered over seven years, at 
Jenkintown. In the fall of 1912 his health began to fail. 
After a trip to Montreal, Quebec, and Lake George, 
walking, of which exercise he had always been very fond, 
quickly fatigued him, and he complained of pain in his 
limbs. Neither a specialist nor a sanitarium in Atlantic 
City brought relief, and when he wanted to go to Ber- 
muda, the doctors deeming this unwise, Richmond was 
decided on. Here, in the home of his son, Mr. J. Homer 
Cooper, he passed from earth, on January 19, 1914. 
Funeral services were held in the First Church, Rich- 
mond, and in the Chestnut Street Baptist Church, Phila- 
delphia. In Richmond the services were conducted by 
Rev. Dr. Geo. W. McDaniel and Rev. Dr. James Nelson. 
In Philadelphia the exercises were conducted by these 
ministers: George D. Adams, A. J. Rowland, Charles 
Hastings Dodd, J. G. Walker, John Gordon, David 
Spencer, George Young, and Mr. David P. Leas. 

Dr. Cooper is survived by his wife and three of his 
children, namely : James Homer Cooper, Mrs. Walter 
Sebastian, and George Cooper, Jr. A daughter, Lelia, 
died in 1875. 



WILLIAM BONNIE DAUGHTRY 

1874-1914 

On June 13, 1874, at Franklin, Va., William Bonnie 
Daughtry was born, his parents being Thomas Daughtry 
and Cherry Carr. At the early age of about ten he united 
with the church, and when only sixteen years old was 
Superintendent of the Sunday school. He spent four 
sessions at Richmond College and two at Crozer Theo- 
logical Seminary, graduating- at Crozer in 1901. On 
December 26, 1899, at Beaver Dam Church, Isle of 
Wight County, Virginia, he was ordained to the gospel 
ministry, the presbytery being composed of these minis- 
ters : J. L. Lawless, J. F. Love, J. T. Bowden, and J. E. 
Jones. After being pastor for some two years and four 
months of the Eastville and Cape Charles Churches, 
Accomac Association, he became pastor in the Concord 
and Appomattox Associations, his churches being Black- 
stone, Jonesboro, Burkeville, and Bagby Memorial. His 
next work was also in the Concord Association, and, 
before he left Virginia to become pastor in North Caro- 
lina, he served these churches, in the Concord : Meherrin, 
Mt. Carmel, Tussekiah, Union Grove, Victoria, and Mt. 
Zion. After about two years at Plymouth, N. C, he 
accepted the care of the church at Tarboro, N. C. He 
preached only one sermon at Tarboro, when he was 
stricken down with pneumonia, and after an illness of 
one week passed away. His death occurred January 15, 
1914. On Saturday, January 17, the body was laid to 
rest at the Beaver Dam Church, near Carrsville, Va., the 
funeral services being conducted by these ministers : 
G. C. Duncan, J. T. McCutcheon, W. T. Clark, and 

411 



412 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

R. A. McFarland. His wife, to whom he was married 
November 27, 1901, and whose maiden name was Miss 
Delia Poole (the daughter of Paschal and Henrietta 
Poole), and two children, William Bonnie and Henrietta, 
survive him. He was five feet, eleven and a half inches 
tall, and weighed from 165 to 175 pounds. His com- 
plexion was fair, his eyes and hair brown. Until his fatal 
illness his health was almost perfect. 



JOHN RICHARD THOMAS 
1850-1914 

Baltimore was the birthplace and for some years the 
home of John Richard Thomas. He first saw the light 
March 5, 1850. His educational preparation for life was 
secured at the public schools of the city of Baltimore. 
He was a Christian from an early age, being very active, 
for some time, in the Methodist Church. About 1884 
he was baptized in the Riverside Church, Baltimore, by 
Rev. W. J. Nicoll. He served this church for several 
years as a deacon, and then entered the ministry. At the 
age of twenty-two he was married to Miss Elizabeth 
Durmn. She and six children survive him. In the 
church where he was baptized he was ordained, on Janu- 
ary 8, 1893, and his first regular charge was the Nanje- 
moy Baptist Church, Charles County, Maryland. Here 
he labored successfully for more than seven years. It 
seems that his next field was in the Rappahannock Asso- 
ciation, Virginia, being composed of these churches : 
Colonial Beach, Potomac, and Pope's Creek. After 
several years he seems to have returned to Maryland, 
and either now, or at the earlier residence, organized the 
Port Tobacco Church. "Through all kinds of weather 
this man of God ministered to the people of that village, 
driving fifteen miles each way twice a month, and receiv- 
ing but meager financial support, but much joy in 
service." He was next pastor at Rio Grande, N. J., and 
he left this place to go to the church at East Georgia 
Plains, Vt. Then he returned to New Jersey, taking 
charge of the flock at Hornerstown. His health, which 
seems to have been frail, now failing, he returned to 

413 



414 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Colonial Beach. Here he ministered to the church once 
more, and then the end came, on February 3, 1914. His 
children are Mrs. Carrie E. Wheeler, Mrs. W. L. 
Southerland, Mrs. B. A. Southerland, Mr. J. R. Thomas, 
Jr., Prof. W. H. Thomas, and Rev. Charles E. Thomas. 



GEORGE FRANKLIN WILLIAMS 

1833-1914 

The Gallatin family, which gave so distinguished a 
son to American public life, boasted an ancestry running 
back to A. Atilius Callatinus, who was a Roman consul 
in 259 B. C. The Williams family, of which George 
Franklin Williams was a member, traces its genealogy 
through the Weeks' line back to 534 A. D., Alfred the 
Great and others, famous in English history, being among 
their ancestors. Mr. Williams was descended from the 
early settlers of New England, and had among his for- 
bears these colonial governors: Hinkney, of Plymouth; 
Bishop, of New Haven; Dudley and Bradstreet, of 
Massachusetts. Anne Dudley, the daughter of Gov. 
Thomas Dudley, who married Simon Bradstreet (after- 
wards Governor of Massachusetts), and emigrated with 
him to New England, wrote poems which were published 
in London, in 1630, under the title, "The Tenth Muse." 
This volume, which came out in a second edition 
(Boston, 1678), won for her the title of the first poetess 
in America. Members of the famous Cotton family, of 
New England, and of the Tufts family, that founded 
Tufts College, are also among Mr. Williams' ancestors. 
On the paternal side, the name John Williams runs back 
through four generations. His grandfather, John Wil- 
liams, who lived from 1775 to 1834, was instrumental in 
building, in his town of Goshen, a Baptist Church, which 
he sustained as long as he lived. His paternal grand- 
father, Rev. Asa Todd, who was born in New Haven in 
1756, was one of the three pioneer Baptist ministers of 
western New England. During the week he strapped his 

415 



416 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Bible to his plow handles, and so prepared his sermons 
while he worked his farm. He often walked as much as 
twenty miles on Sunday to preach, and on horseback he 
made his way from place to place through the Connecti- 
cut Valley. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and at the 
time of the evacuation of New York was with Washing- 
ton. Captain Thomas Weeks, another ancestor of Mr. 
Williams, was a minuteman at the battle of Lexington, 
and continued in service till the surrender of General 
Burgoyne at Saratoga. 

Mr. Williams was born at Ashfield, Mass., April 17, 
1833, his parents being John Williams and Obedience 
Todd. Although he was not baptized until February 6, 
1853, when he received the ordinance at the hands of 
Rev. E. H. Gray at Shelburne Falls, he believed that he 
was converted long before this, probably in his ninth 
year. From Shelburne Falls Academy he passed to 
Rochester University, where he received his Bachelor of 
Arts degree in June, 1860. A fondness for mathe- 
matics, which began in his school days and lasted to the 
day of his death, led him, while a student at Rochester, 
to try for a prize in mathematics. He missed the prize 
by one point; in the examination he indignantly refused 
the offer of a fellow-student to pass him the key to the 
problem. He always regarded this experience as one of 
the severest temptations of his younger days. Even in 
advanced life he took keen delight in solving problems of 
higher mathematics, and was never weary of working at 
the most difficult examples. Through the influence of 
Mr. Thomas P. Miller, a native of Massachusetts, who 
was a wealthy banker of Mobile, Ala., and a loyal Bap- 
tist, Mr. Williams' feet were turned to the South and the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mr. Miller 
was greatly interested in the success of this institution, 
and gave substantial financial aid to young Williams, 



GEORGE FRANKLIN WILLIAMS 417 

whose sister he had married, and to other students at 
Greenville. When he arrived at Greenville, S. C., to 
become a student of the Southern Baptist Theological 
Seminary, the spirit of war was running high. Since 
he was from Massachusetts, his trunk, which was very 
heavy, aroused the suspicions of the proprietor of the 
hotel where he put up. Not until it was made plain that 
the trunk contained theological books, and not firearms, 
were the suspicions of the host allayed. At a later date, 
because he was a "Yankee," he was surrounded by a local 
company of Confederates and threatened with arrest. 
Nor was he liberated until his landlady, Mrs. Mauldin, a 
typical Southern woman of gentle blood, vouched for 
him to the captain, her friend. 

He was ordained on May 17, 1863, and his active 
work as a minister began in the Confederate Army, 
where he worked, as a missionary of the Home Mission 
Board, from 1863 to 1865. One day in his work among 
the soldiers Mr. Williams found a poor wounded fellow 
lying on the railroad station in the blazing sun. After 
he began to minister to him, what was his surprise to find 
that he was his old friend Home, of the Seminary days, 
now become a captain. He cared for him for weeks, and 
then Home went back to the army. Years afterwards, 
when Mr. Williams went to be pastor of Ridge Spring, 
S. C, what was his surprise and delight to find his friend 
Home living in the village and pastor of several country 
churches not far away. At the close of the War he took 
charge of the Marine Street Mission, Mobile, Ala., which 
he organized into the Palmetto Street Baptist Church, his 
ministry there continuing until 1873. He now came to 
Richmond, Va., and took charge of a mission on Venable 
Street. Of his work here Dr. J. M. Pilcher says: "His 
pastorate of seven years was distinguished by zeal and 
evangelistic power, which was an inspiration to his 



418 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

fellow-pastors. Any other man would have been dis- 
couraged in the early years of the work, but his success 
encouraged other mission work in the city and made it 
easy for his successor to lead the church to build a fine 
house in a better location." From what had become the 
Venable Street Baptist Church he went, in 1880, to the 
pastorate of the church at Ridge Spring, S. C, but in 
1887 he returned to Virginia to take charge of the River- 
ton and Bethel Churches, Clarke County. His home was 
in the village of Millwood, and in due time the Sunday 
school, which he began in a storeroom, grew into a 
church. In 1888 he returned to Richmond to engage in 
city mission work. This organized effort, sustained by 
all the churches, was inspired by him, and when interest 
in it among the churches died away he carried on the 
work at his own charges, supporting his family by means 
of a book agency that he established. He now found 
opportunity to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation on 
the streets, in the factories, in the jail, and in the State 
penitentiary. At this last place he preached three times 
a month to a congregation of 1,200 persons. One year 
he had in this congregation no less than 66 professions 
of faith. He was the self-appointed guardian, for years, 
of the boys of the Laurel Industrial Home, and in the 
Cedar Works and the Locomotive Works he won for 
himself hundreds of friends, among the working men, 
by his daily noon prayer-meetings. In 1908 he became 
Superintendent of the Ex-Prisoners Aid Association of 
Virginia. In this position he remained till the end of his 
life. One year, according to his annual report to the 
Society, he had in hand 71 ex-convicts. He learned the 
plans of each one before the discharge came, seeing those 
who were in Richmond and writing to those in the con- 
vict road camps. He met each one, on the morning of 
his discharge, at the penitentiary at eight o'clock, and 



GEORGE FRANKLIN WILLIAMS 419 

then gave them their breakfast, introduced them to 
friends, and saw them on the train if they were going 
away. The value of this work can be judged when it is 
known that Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, upon hearing of it, 
sent for its support his check for $100, and when the 
letters are read that came from friends of those whom 
he had befriended. A few sentences from some of these 
letters are quoted. One from Brooklyn said : "You have 
a father's and mother's blessing for interesting yourself 
in our boy." A mother wrote: "I thank you for your 
interest in my son. I did not think any one on earth 
cared for him but myself." A .father wrote : "I have 
hunted everywhere for my son, but got no tidings of him 
until your letter came." Equally interesting and touch- 
ing are the letters that he received from the ex-convicts 
after they passed from beyond his care. One fellow, 
who had made good, wrote back : "I have put in a solid 
month's work here. ... I have paid up my board 
bill in full. . . . Tell the boys up yonder at the 
prison, and tell them to pray." Who can read this part 
of Mr. Williams' history and not remember the words : 
"I was in prison and ye came unto me. . . . Inas- 
much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, 
my brethren, ye have done it unto me" ? 

The story of Mr. Williams' service for the kingdom of 
God in Richmond would not be complete without some 
mention of the Gospel Wagon which he conducted for 
many years. It was large enough to hold some twelve 
persons and a "baby" organ, and was drawn by two 
white horses. Every Sunday afternoon, when the 
weather was mild, Mr. Williams and his wife set out in 
the wagon at two o'clock and were gone till six. They 
went down into the "slums." Many conversions 
occurred, and some substantial families were led to unite 



420 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

with neighboring churches. Barkeepers came to listen 
to the gospel message, and others of low repute heard 
the glad tidings of salvation. 

He died in Richmond, Va., February 19, 1914, and the 
funeral took place at the Calvary Baptist Church, being 
conducted by his dear friend and Seminary fellow- 
student, Rev. Dr. Charles H. Ryland, who was assisted 
in the service by Rev. Dr. Alfred Bagby and Rev. C. A. 
Jenkins. The body was laid to rest in Oakwood 
Cemetery. On his death bed, when asked by his 
daughter if she must read, with other passages, the 
twenty-third Psalm, his reply was to read it as he had 
read it to a dying soldier, and thus the blessed words 
were read to him, emphasis being put on all the pronouns 
of the first person. His wife, whose maiden name was 
Miss Emma Virginia Woodfin, preceded him to the 
grave September 5, 1910. She was genial in nature, with 
a sweet, lovely face, a vigorous mind, and a great 
capacity for work. In the home her influence was 
strong, and her children rise up and bear witness to her 
wise and loving training. She found time for missionary 
work, and was for many years the leader of the Virginia 
Sunbeams. As a memorial of this work with the Sun- 
beams there has been established a school in Chefoo, 
China, that bears her name. As a young woman she 
taught a class in the Leigh Street Church, exerting a 
strong influence over many youths. There are three 
ministers, who are useful to-day for God, who remember 
how she made lasting impressions on them for good 
when they were boys in her class. Three of his children, 
little boys, died before they were four years old. A son, 
George Beverly Williams, and two daughters, Miss 
Bertha Belle Williams and Emma Wirt Williams, now 
the wife of Rev. Benjamin D. Gaw, and two of his 
sisters (one over ninety-five years of age and the other 
eighty-six) survive him. 



HUGH DAVIS RAGLAND 
1840-1914 

Goochland County, that narrow and long county which 
hugs James River for something like fifty miles, was the 
birthplace of Hugh Davis Ragland, his home and field of 
labor for a large part of his life, and where he died. He 
was born November 5, 1840. When he was fourteen 
years old he was converted under the preaching of Rev. 
L. W. Allen, and was baptized -into the fellowship of 
the Williams Baptist Church. This church, organized 
in 1785 and located in Louisa County, the nearest post- 
office being Cuckooville, had as her pastor, in 1855, Rev. 
Samuel Harris. He became a colporteur under the 
Publication Board of the General Association in 1858, 
and continued in this work until he entered Richmond 
College. As a boy he had attended Goochland Academy. 
His work at the college was interrupted by the outbreak 
of the Civil War, and he became a soldier, serving in the 
ranks until he was captured and carried as a prisoner, 
first to Point Lookout and then to Elmyra, N. Y. He 
preached to his fellow-prisoners and had the joy of seeing 
many of them brought to Christ. Upon the close of the 
War he returned to his native county to take up work 
among the churches there, and the March following Lee's 
Surrender at Appomattox he was married, March 12, 
1866, to Miss Amarintha Perkins, daughter of Benjamin 
Perkins, of Fluvanna County, and Martha Bullock, of 
Albemarle. 

In the report of the State Mission Board to the Gen- 
eral Association, in 1871, these words are found: "The 
Goshen Association is now cooperating in the State 

421 



422 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Mission work of the General Association, and we have 
made appropriations to aid five brethren in preaching to 
feeble churches of that body which, without such help, 
are in danger of extinction. . . . Brother H. D. 
Ragland has four stations in Goochland and Louisa. We 
propose to aid liberally in restoring the waste places of 
Zion in the Goshen Association, not only for the sake 
of the hallowed memories which linger around the old 
meeting places of the early Baptist fathers of Virginia, 
but to hasten the bright future which we feel assured lies 
before the Lord's people there." In 1873, when Mr. 
Ragland worked for half a year in this same connection, 
he had five preaching points and baptized sixteen persons. 
During his long service in the Goshen Association he was 
pastor of these churches : Mt. Prospect, Fork, Perkins, 
and Lickinghole (now known as Smyrna). The 
churches in the Dover Association to which he ministered 
were Dover and Goochland. In this territory, in these 
two Associations, for fifty years he went in and out 
among the people, God setting the seal of his approval 
on his "devoted and popular ministry." Of two of these 
churches. Fork and Perkins, he was pastor twice, his 
first union with the former body extending over twenty- 
one years ; but his longest pastorate was at the Dover 
Church, where he remained a quarter of a century. 
Something like a decade before the end of his life he 
went to live in Botetourt County, becoming pastor of 
Springwood, Mt. Beulah, Longdale, and Forest Grove 
Churches ; but after a few years he returned to the section 
where he was to the "manner born." His last work was 
given to Hopeful, Louisa County, and Mt. Olivet, Han- 
over County. He became interested in the establishment 
of a church near his home, and, even on what proved to 
be his death bed, planned for the accomplishment of this 
undertaking. Three months before his own death came 



HUGH DAVIS RAGLAND 423 

that of his wife. This was a severe blow, but his faith 
did not falter, and their graves are near the meeting- 
house they labored to build. 

Mr. Ragland was a man of genial bearing and with a 
sweet-toned voice. One of his fellow-ministers said of 
him: "He was a plain and unassuming man. His 
humility was beautiful. He was greatly beloved by his 
flock, because he always showed a deep concern for 
them." His genial and cordial spirit was not out of 
harmony with a vigorous mind, and this blend of 
qualities doubtless gave him special fitness for the office 
of Public School Superintendent, which he held for 
Goochland County sixteen years. He owned and drove 
for seventeen years a sorrel mare named "Catherine 
Swinford." He died March 5, 1914, being survived by a 
son and two daughters, Mr. E. Herbert Ragland, Mrs. 
H. A. Wiltshire, and Mrs. E. S. Lacy. 



EDWARD LANGSTON BAPTIST 

1837-1914 

Richard Harwood Baptist, whose sister, Frances 
Russell Baptist, was the mother of the famous Confeder- 
ate general, Ambrose Powell Hill, represented his county, 
Mecklenburg, for twelve years in the Virginia State 
Senate. His wife, who was Miss Sallie Goode, a 
daughter of Samuel and Ann Spottswood Goode, of 
Mecklenburg County, was a great-granddaughter of 
Alexander Spottswood, one of the colonial governors of 
Virginia. Of these parents Edward Langston Baptist 
was born, March 13, 1837, at "Sycamore Grove," on 
Bluestone Creek, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Not 
many miles away from "Sycamore Grove" is Hampden- 
Sidney College, with its peaceful quiet of the country; 
here young Baptist attended school for a season and then, 
for some reason, went to William and Mary at Williams- 
burg, where he graduated in the class of 1857, Dr. 
Samuel G. Harris being one of his fellow-graduates. 
While at William and Mary, Mr. Baptist was a member 
of the Epsilon Chapter of the Theta Delta Chi Fra- 
ternity. The records of the fraternity bear witness to 
his noble qualities and to the fact that he was a true 
friend. From Williamsburg he went to Columbian Uni- 
versity and studied law, and then settled in Charles Town 
(now in West Virginia) to practice his chosen profes- 
sion, but the questions of slavery and States' rights that 
were being discussed so generally, suggested to the young 
lawyer that war might not be far off and that it would 
be better for him to be among his own people, so he 
turned his steps towards his native county and opened 

424 



EDWARD LANGSTON BAPTIST 425 

an office at Boydton. When the war cloud did break he 
went to the front with the Boydton Cavalry, 3d Virginia 
Regiment, commanded by Thomas F. Goode. He was 
a courier for Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, and was with that 
distinguished commander when he was wounded. Later, 
Mr. Baptist was taken as prisoner to Point Lookout, 
where he was held for more than a year. In the awful 
"reconstruction period," with his property all gone, he 
set out to provide as best he could for his growing family. 
He established himself as a school-teacher in an old log 
schoolhouse ' f our miles from his home, often walking 
this distance to his daily work. One of his pupils testifies 
that he had the happy faculty of making the student love 
his work. He was the friend of boys, and they loved 
and respected him. When, in the early seventies, the 
Public Free School System was established in Virginia, 
Mr. Baptist was appointed the first Superintendent of 
Public Instruction for Mecklenburg County. He held 
this position until he was elected by his fellow-citizens to 
represent them in the State Legislature for the session 
of 1895-6. 

In 1869 at "The City," or what is now known as Chase 
City, Mr. Baptist was converted, the light of the gospel 
coming to him with something of the suddenness and 
deep conviction that marked the great change in the life 
of the Apostle Paul. He at once began to prepare him- 
self for the gospel ministry to which he felt called. He 
attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and 
in 1874 his name appears for the first time in the list of 
Virginia Baptist ministers in the Minutes of the General 
Association. Within the bounds of the Concord Asso- 
ciation his work as a minister was done. At times he was 
both teacher and preacher. The churches to which he 
ministered for longer or shorter periods were Boydton, 
New Hope, Olive Branch, Mt. Zion, Cut Banks, Ephesus, 



426 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Tabernacle, Mt. Horeb, and Concord. His was a 
successful ministry, and many of his spiritual children 
rise up to call him blessed. He was a man of handsome 
appearance, of dignified bearing, yet easily approached; 
a true friend, fond of horses and of books, high-minded, 
and very conscientious. He loved to work among the 
troubled and distressed, and gave more thought to others 
than to himself. 

His marriage, in 1860, to Miss Emma Rolfe, of Meck- 
lenburg County, was the beginning of a long and very 
happy married life that was not broken until the death of 
the wife on March 11, 1911. Five of the children of 
this home are still living, namely : Edward Langston 
Baptist, John Harwood Baptist, William Glanville Bap- 
tist, Mrs. W. G. Moss, and Mrs. J. K. Lockett. 

Mr. Baptist died, on March 11, 1914, in Lynchburg in 
the home of his daughter. The body was taken to Boyd- 
ton and laid away in the snow-clad earth of the old 
Presbyterian Church cemetery, the funeral service being 
conducted by Rev. R. E. Peale. 



JUDSON CAREY DAVIDSON 
1846-1914 

Not far from one of the small streams which make the 
headwaters of the Appomattox River, and some eight or 
ten miles west of old Appomattox Court House, is "Oak 
Grove." a comfortable home which has belonged to the 
Davidson family since 1701, at which time the original 
grant was made to Alexander Davidson by William III, 
"King of Great Britain and Ireland." The house, with 
its wide doors, large rooms, and big fireplaces, is unlike 
most of the farmhouses built to-day. Some splendid 
trees stand near the house, and at the foot of the hill is 
a generous spring. In this home Judson Carey Davidson, 
whose very name suggests that he came of pious stock, 
was born, February 2, 1846, his parents being Jesse 
Thornhill Davidson and Martha Osborne Davidson. 
He was converted early in life and baptized by Rev. John 
Hamner. Two miles from "Oak Grove" is Hebron Bap- 
tist Church, in which there is a memorial window to Jesse 
Thornhill Davidson, who for thirty-seven years was the 
Superintendent of the Hebron Sunday School. His son, 
T. O. Davidson, who now has this office, has filled it for 
twenty-five years. Appomattox County, that was to 
have a world-wide fame as the place where the Civil War 
came to an end, was not behind in the matter of sending 
out soldiers when the cruel struggle began. Young Jud- 
son Carey Davidson, having studied under tutors and at 
Union Academy, was one of the men, or rather youths, 
for he was only seventeen years old, who answered their 
country's call and went forth to the tented field. The 
remaining years of the War he served in Company A, 

427 



428 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

11th Virginia Regiment, Pickett's Division. On the 
retreat from Petersburg "he was wounded at the Battle 
of Five Forks, in Dinwiddie County, April 1, 1865. 
When he was shot down a companion stopped long 
enough to prop him against an embankment at the inter- 
section of two roads. As a detachment of Union cavalry 
came up one man shouted : 'Only a wounded Rebel ; ride 
over him, boys.' But the captain commanded a halt and 
detailed men to move the 'wounded Rebel' out of the 
road, put him in a more comfortable position, and fill his 
canteen with water. The grateful soldier inquired the 
name of his humane enemy, but his only reply .was : 'Just 
a Yank trying to help a wounded Johnnie.' For many 
hours he was left unattended, and was finally put into a 
rough army wagon and hauled over an almost impassable 
road, sometimes conscious, sometimes fainting from loss 
of blood or excessive pain. He at last reached a field 
hospital, where, on the fourth day after he was wounded, 
he was fed and his wound was examined. The doctors 
decided to amputate his leg, but he protested so vigor- 
ously that they concluded to let him alone. The wounded 
men were moved to a prison, and for three months Mr. 
Davidson remained a prisoner, suffering horribly from 
his wounded leg and from want of proper attention. 
About the last of June he and many other sick and 
wounded men were put on a boat and sent to Richmond, 
from which point he made his way home" in the face of 
incredible hardships. 

Upon the reestablishment of his health he went into 
business in Lynchburg. It was not long, however, before 
he decided that it was his duty to be a preacher. This 
decision led to his entering the Southern Baptist Theo- 
logical Seminary, then at Greenville, S. C., where he had 
among his classmates such men as Breaker, Rogers, and 
Sproles. Upon leaving Greenville he was ordained, 



JUDSON CAREY DAVIDSON 429 

October 30, 1872, at the First Baptist Church, Lynch- 
burg, the following ministers composing the presbytery : 
Rev. Dr. C. C. Bitting, Rev. Dr. J. C. Kincannon. and 
Rev. Dr. W. A. Montgomery. A few months after this 
he became pastor of the First Baptist Church, of Sedalia, 
Mo. Here he built up a large congregation, being 
especially popular with the young men of the city. In 
1878 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Diuguid, the 
daughter of George A. Diuguid, of Lynchburg, and the 
next year became pastor of the Fifth Street Church, 
Hannibal, Mo. From Hannibal he came to Winchester, 
Va., "where perhaps the greatest work of his life was 
done. The Baptist Church in Winchester had never been 
strong. Members were few and scattered ; there was no 
church edifice, and prospects for Baptist growth were 
very dark. The Baptist Church now standing in Win- 
chester is Mr. Davidson's best monument, representing, 
as it does, the overcoming of almost insuperable obstacles. 
It was dedicated entirely free from debt and supported 
by a well-organized membership." After six years in 
Winchester he became pastor of the Grace Church, Balti- 
more. During his pastorate a debt on the meeting-house 
was paid, a handsome stone parsonage and a reading- 
room were built, and the church, giving up help from the 
State Mission Board, became independent and self- 
supporting. During his years in Baltimore he was for 
two sessions President of Maryland Baptist Union Asso- 
ciation. After some three years in Johnson City, Tenn., 
as pastor of the Baptist Church there, he returned to the 
church and community of his early years. Hebron was 
now his charge, and for a part of his time at Hebron he 
was also the undershepherd at Mt. Vernon and Red Oak. 
This pastorate, which lasted nine years, was the close of 
his active ministry. His health began to fail, so he 
resigned in October, 1911, and, two months later, moved 



430 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

to Lynchburg to live. In this city, on the night of April 
21, 1914, he passed away. His wife and three children, 
namely, Dr. George D. Davidson and Misses Mabel and 
Grace Davidson, survive him. 

Mr. Davidson's sermons invited attention by striking, 
epigrammatic, or alliterative phrases. Of Mr. Davidson, 
after his death, Rev. W. S. Royall, in a tribute in the 
Herald, said : "Brother Davidson was constructive. In 
nearly all his pastorates he had church building to do, debt 
paying and organizing to accomplish, such as require 
resourcefulness, patience, and perseverance. . . . 
Genial and companionable, I found it very helpful and 
joyful to be associated with him in our Lord's work." 

A poem written by Rev. T. D. D. Clark to the memory 
of Mr. Davidson begins with these lines : 

"Dear friend of my youth, when I needed a friend, 

The door that swings outward now hides from my sight 
The face and the form of as gracious a soul 
As ever was brought from darkness to light." 



CALVIN ROAH NORRIS 

1870-1914 

Almost three-quarters of a century ago a man set up, 
on a roadside in Watauga County, North Carolina, a 
country store. It seemed so small an affair that an old 
gentleman said that it would have nothing but soda to 
sell. So the place came to be called Soda Hill. At this 
place, August 22, 1870, Calvin Roah Norris was born. 
Watauga County, under the shadow of the Blue Ridge 
Mountains, is in a section of the State that has sent forth 
many preachers. Young Norris grew up on the farm, 
living a quiet, peaceful life, and was educated, as his 
parents before him had been, in the common schools. He 
joined the church January 20, 1889, being baptized by 
Rev. David Greene. In the midst of his own people, at 
Meat_ Camp Church, an old-fashioned meeting-house 
among the mountains, he was ordained in 1906, these 
ministers composing the presbytery : David Greene, 
L. A. Wilson, and John Orisp. At this church he labored 
for some three years with marked success. Stuart's 
Draft, Augusta County, Virginia, was his next field, and 
after a year or more there he became pastor at Pamplin, 
Appomattox County, Elon (Pamplin), Evergreen, and 
Matthews Churches forming his field. On the morning 
of June 13, 1914, he passed away, in the very prime of 
his manhood. The body was taken back to his old home 
among the blue hills. The funeral was conducted by 
Rev. Willis F. Wayts, of Farmville, assisted by Rev. 
A. J. Ponton, the pastor of the Pamplin Presbyterian 
Church. Of Mr. Norris, Rev. Mr. Ponton said: "Truly 
he did a great work in our midst in the little while that he 

431 



432 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

was spared us. All classes will miss him. ... I 
shall miss him, oh, so much. We were like David and 
Jonathan. We were true yokefellows. We walked 
together, we preached together, we prayed together, and 
in all of our close and intimate associations there was 
never a jar. He was a Baptist loyal and true to every 
tenet of his faith, yet withal void of a sectarian spirit." 
He was. in build, about the average height, straight, and 
deep chested. His forehead was high and broad, the face 
clean shaven, the mouth well shaped and strong. His 
countenance was genial and his appearance inviting. 

His wife, to whom he was married July 17, 1895, sur- 
vives him. Before her marriage she was Miss Cora 
Adamire Gragg. From their earliest childhood they had 
known each other. Of this marriage six daughters, 
Blanche, Mattie, Annie, Edna, Marion, and Pearl, and 
one son, William Broadus, were born. 



JOSEPH WASHINGTON HART 

1843-1914 

In 1861 a young man nineteen years old, named Joseph 
Washington Hart, went forth from King and Queen 
County, Virginia, to join the Confederate Army. He 
enlisted in the 26th Virginia Infantry, ''where he ren- 
dered faithful service and led an irreproachable moral 
life. His comrades in the army testify that he was a 
soldier who could be depended on to do his duty." He 
was licensed to preach in 1864, and, after having studied 
at Richmond College the session' of 1867-68, and at the 
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1869, at the 
call of the Mattaponi Church was ordained to the gospel 
ministry. In the summer of 1865, in a protracted meeting 
held at Howerton's Church, Essex County, Virginia, the 
pastor of the church, Rev. Isaac Diggs, was helped by a 
young man, a licentiate. This young man was Hart. 
Many were converted, and to one of this number, at least, 
this was the greatest meeting he had ever known. The 
one who looks back to this series of meetings at Hower- 
ton's with such tender emotion is Rev. Dr. W. T. Derieux, 
now a leading Baptist pastor in South Carolina. Upon 
Mr. Hart's death Dr. Derieux, in an article about him in 
the Herald, said : "Through the critical years of my youth 
he never failed me, and his gentle and Christly spirit 
helped to guide me into the ministry. My first preaching 
was done for him, and on it he set his blessings. . . . 
He was my pastor at Hebron, King William County, 
where I entered the ministry. More than any other man 
he led my steps. . . . Humble, faithful, honest, 
courageous, upright soul was his." 

His work as a minister was given to churches in the 
Dover, Rappahannock, and Portsmouth Associations. 

433 



434 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

From about 1871 to 1913 he labored faithfully. At two 
churches he continued as pastor for more than a decade. 
In the Dover Association he had charge of the Hebron 
and Mt. Horeb Churches. He was next in the Rappa- 
hannock Association, where his churches were Hower- 
ton's, Providence (Caroline), and Mt. Hermon. From 
1885 to 1904 he labored in the Portsmouth Association, 
ministering to these churches : Newville, Waverly, Old 
Shop (which, since 1896, has been known as Oakland), 
Flam, and Readsville. From this section he moved back 
to the Rappahannock Association, where his last field 
was composed of the Lower King and Queen and Mat- 
taponi Churches. He died on August 11, 1914, and was 
buried in the Mattaponi churchyard. 

He was married three times. His first wife was Miss 
Columbia Derieux, of Essex County, Virginia, daughter 
of A. G. and Virginia F. Derieux. The children of this 
marriage are Mrs. Emma Roger, Seattle, Wash. ; Dr. 
Arthur Hart, of Mecklenburg County, Virginia; and 
Rev. Joseph L. Hart, missionary of the Southern Baptist 
Convention to Argentina. His second wife was Miss S. 
Terrell. His last wife, who, with one daughter, Miss 
Mary Lelia, survives him, was, before her marriage, Miss 
Mary L. Wright. 

The Religious Herald, in noticing Mr. Hart's death, 
called him "one of the most modest and excellent of our 
country pastors," and said: "He has been pastor of 
various Virginia fields, and the sweet savour of a godly 
and earnest life abides in every community in which he 
has lived and labored." Rev. Dr. G. W. Beale, in his 
obituary of Mr. Hart, said : "Brother Hart, in the pro- 
found experiences of his soul, felt that the gospel had 
been the power of God unto his own salvation, and it 
was his delight to recommend it with all his ability to 
the hearts and consciences of others, and his sympathies 
for the lost were as wide as the world." 



CHARLES WELDON COLLIER 

1861-1914 

On May 19, 1861, just a few weeks after Virginia 
had seceded, in Petersburg, where so many tragic scenes 
of the War took place later, Charles Weldon Collier was 
born, his parents being James L. and Sue Dicson Collier. 
While working as a printer in Petersburg he and his 
wife, who before her marriage, which took place Novem- 
ber 24, 1882, was Miss Ella V. Browne, the daughter 
of George I. and Mary Goodwin Browne, were baptized 
into the fellowship of the West End Baptist Church by 
Rev. M. L. Wood. He at once became active in church 
effort, and before long took up Y. M. C. A. work. From 
this service he passed into the gospel ministry, being 
ordained at his mother church December 29, 1892. He 
went to Crozer Theological Seminary, where he gradu- 
ated in 1894. At his ordination, which took place at the 
West End Church, Petersburg, December 29, 1892, the 
presbytery was composed of these ministers : J. C. 
Hiden, J. M. Pilcher, and H. W. Battle. After his first 
pastorate, which was at Wilmington, Del., he came back 
to his native State and accepted the care of churches in 
the Shiloh Association. During all the years of his 
service in the Shiloh Association he was pastor of Mt. 
Carmel and Woodville, and, for a large part of this 
period, of Mt. Lebanon. For a portion of the decade 
he spent in the Shiloh he was in charge of one or more 
of these churches : Slate Mills, New Salem, Shiloh, Beth 
Car, F. T., and Flint Hill. In 1905 he moved to the 
Strawberry Association, becoming pastor of the Bedford 
City Church. During the larger part of this pastorate 

435 



436 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

he ministered also to the Timber Ridge Church. While 
he was at Bedford City he led his people to the erection 
of a modern Sunday-school room and to securing a 
parsonage. After some eight years here his health began 
to give away, and he was called on to pass through 
months of languishing and suffering. His earthly life 
closed August 12, 1914, at Culpeper, Va. Mr. Collier 
was tall, of fair complexion, dark hair and moustache, 
and brown eyes. He had a bright, happy disposition, 
loved his home, books, his many pets, and horses. He 
was fond of flowers and music, and played the organ. 



FREDERICK WILLIAM CLAYBROOK 

1844-1914 

In the Northern Neck of Virginia, at Heathsville, 
Northumberland County, Frederick William Claybrook 
was born August 3, 1844, his parents being Richard A. 
Claybrook and Charlotte T. Brown. For the first twenty 
years of his life his father's house, near Lotsburg, in his 
native county, was his home. When this residence was 
burned by the Union Army in 1864, the family moved 
to Westmoreland County. Private tutors cared for the 
training of the boy until he was old enough to enter the 
Northumberland Academy. From this institution he 
passed to the school of Mr. Hillary Jones, in Hanover 
County, and from there to the Virginia Military Insti- 
tute, Lexington, where he graduated in 1864. The story 
of the Virginia Military Institute cadets who went to the 
War and to the battle of New Market, May 15, 1864, is 
famous in the annals of Virginia and the South. Young 
Claybrook was one of this noble band, whose names are 
enrolled on the stone monument — "Virginia Mourning 
Her Dead" — in front of the Institute. He was Second 
Lieutenant, D Company. He continued with the Con- 
federate Army around Richmond until early in 1865, 
when he joined Mosby's Battalion, with which command 
he remained till the end of the War. After the War, 
living at his home, "Afton," near The Hague, Westmore- 
land County, he studied and practiced law for a few 
years. In 1871 he made a profession of religion, and 
later, it seems in 1873, was baptized into the fellowship 
of the Machodoc Baptist Church, Westmoreland County. 
The same year he entered the Southern Baptist Theo- 

437 



438 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

logical Seminary, Greenville, S. C, and was there until 
the death of his father made it necessary for him to 
return home so as to be able to care for his mother and 
sister. He was ordained to the gospel ministry at his 
mother church, Machodoc, on June 20, 1875, his ordina- 
tion having been asked for by the Pope's Creek Church, 
of which flock he took charge that same year. In his 
ministry of some forty years he was to do good service 
in the organization of churches and the building of 
meeting-houses, and he here exercised his hand first at 
this kind of work, organizing the Oak Grove Church, and 
then first built and later improved their house of worship. 
At Oak Grove and Pope's Creek he was "very popular 
and successful." Farnham, Richmond County, and 
Lebanon, Lancaster County, formed his next field ; here 
he remained several years, having "a successful and 
popular ministry and endearing himself greatly to the 
churches." In 1885, accepting a call of the Morattico 
Church, Lancaster County, he began what was his long- 
est and most fruitful pastorate. Upon his going to this 
field, Irvington and White Stone were missions of the 
Morattico Church ; but, largely because of his energy and 
zeal, they soon became separate organizations. He estab- 
lished preaching stations near Wicomoco and Weems 
Churches, and for several years maintained such work at 
Bluff Point. All this meant that two Sundays every 
month he rode thirty-six miles, preaching three times. In 
order to make this circuit, when the days were short, he 
was obliged to eat a lunch on the road and to feed his 
horse while he was preaching. At three points on this 
field he saw erected houses of worship, and in a large 
measure these churches : Oak Grove, Irvington, Clay- 
brook (named after him), and Wicomoco, which "owe 
their existence to his fine judgment, consecrated energy, 
and the unwearying purpose of his soul to make his life 



FREDERICK WILLIAM CLAYBROOK 439 

count for his Master's service and glory." The new 
meeting-house at Kilmarnock "is also a monument to his 
pious zeal and practical sagacity." He was always on 
time at his appointments, his work always gave him joy, 
and he never worried. It was while he was at Morattico 
that he organized the Wharton Grove Camp-Meeting, a 
gathering over which he presided as long as his strength 
would allow. 

In the general work of the denomination, both in his 
Association, the Rappahannock, and in the State, he was 
deeply interested. He was a member of the State Mis- 
sion Board and the Orphanage Board, and was regular 
in his attendance at the Sunday School Convention, the 
Ministers' Institute, and the Association, and in these 
gatherings was a ''prudent counselor and a clear and 
forceful speaker." Dr. Beale, from whose obituary 
quotations have already been made, says : "As a preacher 
he was practical, direct, and hortatory in his style, not 
ornate or given to imaginative flights, but deeply in 
earnest, and his messages were from his heart appealing 
to other hearts. His ability was recognized in his call to 
preach an annual sermon before the General Association, 
as also at a Commencement of the Virginia Military 
Institute." Dr. Beale also says: "In his relation to his 
brother ministers he was genial, cordial, and affectionate 
in his manner, and a vein of delightful humor pervaded 
and enriched his conversation. Against certain popular 
and indiscreet amusements he inveighed in private and in 
the pulpit, and whatever indulgences seemed to him 
fraught with immoral tendencies found in him an alert 
and steadfast foe. In his home life, love ruled supreme, 
and found expression in the embrace and kiss of affection 
in the family circle, which in far too many homes is 
omitted." His habits were regular, he was an early 
riser, and very industrious. He was fond of reading and 



440 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

study, and, though he did not care for hunting, loved a 
good horse. He gave close and strict attention to busi- 
ness and other work that his hands found to do. He 
loved children, and was manly and godly. One who 
knew him well for many years says : "I could write a 
book on his beautiful life." He was of medium size, 
about five feet eight inches in height, erect in his carriage, 
"of pleasing address, and good looking," his eyes and 
hair being dark. 

He was married twice ; first in January, 1 884, to Miss 
Mary Franklin Dew, of King and Queen County, and in 
1895 to Miss Nannie Garnett, of the same county. Five 
children by the first marriage survive him, namely: 
Frederick William, Franklin Dew, Mary Susan, Char- 
lotte Edmonds, and Elizabeth Simmons, and of the 
second marriage two children : Reuben Garnett and 
Lilia F., and his widow. 

For several years before his death his health was 
declining, and finally a lingering illness kept him in bed 
for months. During his illness he asked Dr. M. B. 
Wharton, who was visiting him : "Wharton, where is 
heaven?" He passed away at his home at Kilmarnock, 
Lancaster County, August 14, 1914. The funeral, which 
was held on the 16th at Kilmarnock Church, was con- 
ducted by Rev. Wayland F. Dunaway, assisted by Rev. 
H. J. Goodwin, and was attended by a great concourse 
of people. The interment took place in the Morattico 
Church cemetery. 



SAMUEL P. MASSIE 
1835-1914 

Amherst County, which lies in Piedmont Virginia, 
was the birthplace and, with adjoining counties, the 
scene of the life work of Samuel P. Massie. The year 
1835, which saw Texas declare its independence, was the 
year of his birth. When the War broke out, in 1861, he 
enlisted in Company I, 19th Virginia Regiment of 
Infantry, Pickett's Division, and served to the end of 
this struggle. At the close of the War he entered Rich- 
mond College, where he was a student from 1866 to 1869, 
to prepare for the gospel ministry. During these years, 
when opportunity was given him to speak at Sidney Bap- 
tist Church (Richmond), he displayed such remarkable 
evangelistic gifts that he was invited to conduct a pro- 
tracted meeting; this meeting resulted in a revival. He 
was called to the pastorate of the church, and served 
until the end of the session, being succeeded in this 
office by Rev. J. M. Pilcher. The summer which 
followed was filled with evangelistic work, and, not 
returning to college, he settled among his own people. 
For almost thirty years he was pastor and preacher in 
the Albemarle Association, in which period he served 
these churches : Mt. Moriah, Sharon, Mt. Paran, Walnut 
Grove, Jonesboro, Piney River, Mt. Shiloh, Rose Union, 
Midway, New Prospect, Central, Adiel, Oak Hill. After 
his active work was over he continued to live at Lowes- 
ville, and here he was buried. On October 2, 1914, he 
passed away, leaving three children : C. G. Massie, a 
civil engineer, P. R. Massie, a lawyer, and Mrs. Ella M. 
Harvey. His wife, who died some five years before he 
did, was, before her marriage, Miss Lucy Cox. 

441 



JOHN WALKER HUNDLEY 
1841-1914 

On April 14, 1841, John Walker Hundley was born 
in King and Queen County, Virginia, his parents being 
William Clarke Hundley and Marion Street Hundley. 
His mother died when he was two years old, and he was 
reared by his grandparents. They, being people of some 
means, sent him to the best available schools "and 
indulged him to the extent of badly spoiling him." In 
1858 he became a student at Richmond College, and was 
there until the War broke out in 1861. 

"At outbreak of the War he was associated as teacher 
with J. Adolphus Montague in an Academy for Boys at 
Centerville. I will tell you of an incident which occurred 
while he was teaching there which in after years amused 
him greatly. 

"In common with many young men at that time, he 
was thirsting for an opportunity to display great valor 
on the battlefield, and the great chance seemed at hand 
when the news reached Centerville from Richmond that 
the great Union man-of-war, Pawnee, was on its way up 
the York River, spreading death and destruction as it 
came. 

"A council of war was called, and upon deciding that 
something must be done immediately, my father was 
posted off at 12 o'clock at night, with instructions to 
ride under whip and spur to King and Queen Court 
House, seventeen miles distant, to sound the alarm of 
imminent peril and desolating war. And he relates that 
no gallant knight ever rode forth to meet inevitable death 
with more alacrity and eagerness than he. He arrived 

442 



JOHN WALKER HUNDLEY 443 

at the courthouse at 2 o'clock, and the scene after the 
alarm was given beggared description. 

"All possible preparations were made for war, and a 
day was spent with the tension on heart and nerve 
drawn tight. Then brains cooled, and reason again held 
sway ; the panic-stricken crowd realized the supreme 
ridiculousness of the United States Government sending 
a great man-of-war upon the obscure little village, Cen- 
terville, a place not known outside the county and not 
upon the county map." 

The death of his only sister, to whom he was greatly 
attached, was one of the saddest afflictions of his life, 
and it came when he was at home, sick, on a furlough. 
He was Second Lieutenant of Company C, of the 26th 
Virginia Regiment of Infantry, Wise's Brigade, N. B. 
Street being Captain. He was publicly applauded for 
gallantry in the battle of Nottoway Bridge. This 
company was mustered into service at Gloucester Point, 
it seems, on June 12, 1861. In 1876 he graduated at 
the Crozer Theological Seminary, and having been 
licensed to preach in May, 1874, he was ordained to the 
full work of the gospel ministry in November, 1876, at 
Mechanicsville Church, Virginia. He began his pastoral 
work on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, his churches 
being Modesttown and Chincoteague. While on this 
field, as a missionary of the State Mission Board, he 
organized, on July 1, 1877, with 12 members, the 
Atlantic Baptist Church. That year he baptized 22 into 
the fellowship of this new church, and, within a year or 
so, 57 others. During his ministry in the Accomac Asso- 
ciation he was pastor, for longer or shorter seasons, 
besides the churches already named, of these churches : 
Bethel, Lee Mont, Zion, Drummondtown, Pungoteague, 
Onancock, Broadway. Iii 1890 he moved to Tarboro, 
N. C, and, during a brief pastorate of the Baptist Church 



444 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

in that town, built a meeting-house. He came back to 
Virginia and worked for several years, in the Shenandoah 
Association, as pastor at Martinsburg, W. Va. His next 
service was first at Glade Spring and then at Marion. 
From 1897 to 1904 he had charge of the Baptist Church 
at Covington, Va. He was for several years the moder- 
ator of the Augusta Association, to which body the 
Covington Church belongs, and for a part of his life at 
Covington he was pastor of the Healing Springs Church. 
In the opinion of Rev. F. P. Berkley, who is now pastor 
in Covington, Mr. Hundley "accomplished at Covington 
the greatest results of his long and earnest ministry." In 
1900 the church, under his leadership, commenced the 
erection of a beautiful and commodious house of wor- 
ship, which was dedicated on April 6, 1902. Rev. Mr. 
Berkley says : "I am sure that no pastor has ever lived 
in Covington who touched the hearts of the people and 
gained and retained their affections and respect to the 
extent of our beloved brother." From Covington he 
went once more to the Eastern Shore, becoming now the 
pastor of the Cape Charles Church. His last pastorate 
was at Pocomoke City, Md. After leaving this place, 
and giving up the active service of the pastorate because 
of feeble health, he came back to Covington, where he 
was among loved ones and friends. Here he passed 
away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. A. Rinehart, 
October 21, 1914. 

His wife, to whom he was married March 23, 1865, 
was Miss Virginia M. Quarles, of Louisa County. She 
preceded him to the grave, passing away February 29, 
1912. Of this union there were born seven children, 
namely : Marion Lee, Henry Rhodes, Augusta, Susy 
Quarles, Virginia, Lois, and John Walker Hundley, Jr. 
Marion Lee died November 15, 1890; Lois, who was 
then Mrs. E. S. Porter, passed away October 15, 1903; 



JOHN WALKER HUNDLEY 445 

and John Walker, Jr., departed this life November 19, 
1913. Susan Ouarles is now the wife of Mr. R. A. 
McCoy, Virginia the wife of Mr. Claude Rhame, and 
Augusta the wife of Mr. W. A. Rinehart. 

Rev. Mr. Berkley says : "Brother Hundley was a very 
strong preacher, clear in the expression of his thoughts, 
Scriptural in his conception of truth, exceedingly tender 
in his disposition ; as gentle and pure in speech as a 
woman ; very modest of his own powers, and kind and 
affectionate in his dealings with others; a man whom 
it was no task to love ; a friend whom one could not help 
trusting fully. He was a little over the average height, 
possibly six feet, or six feet two inches, when he was 
in good health. He weighed, I suppose, nearly two 
hundred when he was well and in active life. He was 
remarkably handsome, both in figure and face. He had 
one of the finest shaped noses I ever saw, very clearly 
cut, and his eyes were striking in their tenderness when 
that quality was necessary, and yet they could almost 
blaze if occasion arose for any expression of disapproval. 
Brother Hundley's appearance in the pulpit was easy and 
commanding. He possessed a charming voice and a very 
attractive style. His feet and hands were shapely, and 
he never appeared, so far as I could judge, in the slight- 
est degree slovenly or unkept ; not even in his last sick- 
ness did his keen sense of cleanliness in person and in 
speech desert him. He was as modest as a woman." In 
his home, while not demonstrative and not without a 
degree of timidity, he was companionable, and hospitable 
even to the extent of going out and compelling guests to 
come in. He enjoyed outdoor life and sports, and was a 
skilled gardener, and even after he was in a measure 
broken by disease, loved to see a good game of baseball. 
He was in the habit of having family worship just before, 
and of reading his Bible in his room just after, breakfast. 



SUPPLEMENT 

Some of the sketches in the Supplement are not in the body of 
the book because the material necessary for their writing was re- 
ceived after the larger part of this volume was in type. 



HENRY DUNDAS DOUGLAS STRATON 
1836-1897 

In the little village of Bannockburn, Stirlingshire, 
Scotland, on August 14, 1836, Henry Dundas Douglas 
Straton first saw the light. Since the piety and devotion 
to books of even the peasant homes of Scotland are 
proverbial, it is not surprising that although his parents 
were in humble circumstances, they gave their son a good 
common schooling and reared him in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord. And must not the exploits of 
William Wallace and Robert Bruce, associated with 
Stirlingshire, have stirred the soul of the boy? Was it 
not at Bannockburn, his birthplace, that on June 24, 
1314, the Scots, thirty thousand strong, under Bruce, 
defeated the English army, one hundred thousand strong, 
under Edward II ? When, as a youth, sixteen years old, 
he went to Falkirk and became a clerk in a dry-goods 
store, he must have been interested in the old Roman wall 
that runs through that town. At one end of the county 
is Loch Katrine, and further south Loch Lomond, while 
the scenery of the rest of the shire takes its charm from 
the views of the valley of the Forth, with its winding 
river and the peaks of the Grampians in the distance. 
During the four years spent in the store in Falkirk the 
young man was led, by the pious example of a com- 
panion, to accept Christ, and from this time forward he 

446 



HENRY DUNDAS DOUGLAS STRATON 447 

found pleasure in distributing tracts and in explaining 
and enforcing the Scriptures among the poor and igno- 
rant, in private homes, in the Sunday school, and else- 
where. After leaving Falkirk he taught school for a 
year in Stirling, and then, when he was twenty-one, 
applied for the appointment as city missionary for one 
of the largest Presbyterian churches in Glasgow. The 
test to which he was subjected, he passed successfully, 
and for three years he worked among the destitute classes 
of this city, attending, at the same time, classes in 
Hebrew, Latin, Moral Philosophy, Greek, and Logic, in 
the University of Glasgow. The year that he commenced 
this work was the very year that John G. Paton gave 
up exactly this kind of work in Glasgow to go as a 
missionary to the New Hebrides ; whether they served 
the same church is not known. After satisfactory 
examinations at Glasgow he entered the United Presby- 
terian Theological Hall at Edinburgh, where he con- 
tinued his theological studies for three terms. His 
parents had emigrated to Australia, and he planned to 
follow them, but in some way his steps were turned 
towards America, and in January, 1865, he landed at 
Philadelphia. His purpose had been to run the blockade 
to Selma, Ala., but this plan having failed, at the end of 
the Civil War he came to Virginia, and for some time 
canvassed various counties as a book agent. In Cumber- 
land County he met Rev. Jesse Clopton Perkins, the 
pastor of Forks of Willis Church, and while a meeting 
was going on in this church, he was led, through inter- 
course with Mr. Perkins, to a complete change of his 
views as to baptism. He was baptized in James River by 
Mr. Perkins, and later a presbytery consisting of Elders 
Cornelius Tyree, Jesse Clopton Perkins, W. Hall, and 
W. A. Whitescarver, ordained him to the Baptist min- 
istry. On December 12, 1866, he was married to Miss 



448 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Julia R. Carter, of Richmond, and soon after this he 
became pastor, in the Dover Association, of the Hebron 
Church, King William County. After some two years at 
this church he became a missionary of the State Mission 
Board, and, while working for the Board, organized the 
Baptist Church of the town of Salem. This event took 
place on May 29, 1870. After a sermon by Rev. Gabriel 
Gray, eighteen persons, seven male and eleven female, 
went into the organization of the church, adopting their 
covenant, rules of order and decorum, and electing their 
officers. H. D. D. Straton was elected pastor, Jno. M. 
Harlowe, clerk, and Jno. M. Evans, treasurer. On 
November 12, 1870, Mr. Straton resigned the care of the 
Salem Church. Seven years were now spent in Ken- 
tucky, his field being Taylorsville, Buck Creek, and 
Henderson, in Kentucky, and Evansville, in Indiana. In 
1878 he accepted a call to Greensboro, Ga., one Sunday 
each month being given to Bairdstown. From this field 
he went to the pastorate of the First Church, Monroe, 
Ga. And from Monroe he moved to Atlanta, being 
pastor in that city first of the Jones Avenue Church and 
then of the Central Avenue Church. He died at Monti- 
cello, January 31, 1897. Rev. John Roach Straton, 
D. D.. pastor of the First Baptist Church, Norfolk, Va., 
is his son. 



RICHARD HENRY EDMONDS 

1831-1858 

Two old daguerreotypes and a diary kept for some 
three years are as windows to the character and brief 
career of Richard Henry Edmonds. One of these 
pictures was taken when he was about eighteen and the 
other when he was twenty-three years old. They show a 
mass of soft hair, a forehead of unusual height and 
width, and full, lustrous eyes. The mouth is large and 
well shaped, and about the whole face there is an expres- 
sion of blended gentleness and intelligence. Sweetness 
and guilelessness are in every lineament. The diary, 
begun when he was nineteen, reminds one of David 
Brainerd and other men famous for their piety, for it 
abounds in humble contrition for sin and cries for cleans- 
ing. Indeed, so strong are the words of self-depreciation 
and accusation that by themselves they would describe a 
desperately wicked man. The face that looks out from 
the old pictures contradicts such an opinion. So we are 
led to believe in his piety. In this diary he declares that 
his "standard of piety is too low," and that he feels, "to 
a lamentable extent, that all is not right within," and 
that one night he was "beset and well-nigh overthrown 
by a well-timed temptation from the adversary" of his 
soul. He "experiences great spiritual darkness," and 
records his wicked transactions of the day "with shame, 
with sorrow, and with bitter reflections." He is 
"pestered" as to the question of young ladies' society, 
whether it is not hurtful to the spiritual life. Yet at this 
time he was attending church regularly, usually three 
times on Sunday, was often the leader of the sunrise 
prayer-meeting, was a teacher in the Sunday school, and 

449 



450 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

one of a group of young men who organized a Young 
Men's Missionary Society. He was in the habit of 
visiting the sick and of talking with the unconverted 
about their souls' welfare. All this time he was engaged 
in a business that gave him his living, but where he was 
surrounded by men who were very profane. Before the 
diary closes the question of his giving up his business to 
prepare for the ministry was a burning issue. On Octo- 
ber 13, 1850, he was licensed by his church to preach, and 
in Norfolk and elsewhere, although he had had no college 
or theological training, he often proclaimed the glad tid- 
ings of salvation. 

As a boy, in his native county of Lancaster, he made 
a profession of religion, and at the age of thirteen was 
baptized by Rev. Addison Hall. Afterwards he was not 
sure whether this experience was genuine, but later, in 
Norfolk, he made a surrender to Christ, the genuineness 
of which he never questioned. During his life in Nor- 
folk, while an apprentice to a Mr. Hall, he came into 
intimate touch with the Rev. Dr. Charles R. Hendrick- 
son, who had been called to the First Baptist Church, his 
church, in 1846. He also heard such men as Rev. 
Reuben Jones, Dr. Tiberius Gracchus Jones, and Dr. Kirk 
preach, and usually he set down the texts of the sermons. 
While he was at work at his daily business he also 
gave himself to study. His older brother, now a capable 
lawyer in Texas, says that in those days, when they 
studied together, the younger lad got in one night what 
it took the older a week to acquire. The father died 
when young Edmonds was just a lad, and he came to 
Norfolk and went to work. During these years the 
city, visited and desolated by the cholera, one fourth day 
of August gave itself to fasting and prayer. This 
observance, as well as the celebration of the anniversary 
of the battle of Yorktown and the commemoration of 
the death of the Ex-President, J. K. Polk, might well 



RICHARD HENRY EDMONDS 451 

make a deep impression on this youth. He heard of the 
death, by cholera, of his brother, and in his diary 
recorded the hope that he was "ready to go into the mar- 
riage supper of the Lamb." At another place he records 
the conversion of another brother. While he never came 
to be the regular pastor of any church, his love for 
preaching is distinctly seen in the way that he preached 
even when his business engaged his time day after day. 
Towards the close of his diary, again and again he speaks 
of having preached. Indeed, he was pressed by the ques- 
tion whether he ought not to be a missionary to the 
Indians. His health, that showed signs of giving way, 
added another factor in the problem as to his duty, he 
was trying to solve. 

He was never to come to the full service of a minister 
of the gospel, yet the message of his brief life is clear 
and strong for devotion to God and for purity and 
prayer. In such a busy day as the one in which we live, 
such a call to consecration may well be heeded. Since 
there was no line of vessels making between Norfolk and 
Lancaster, his boyhood home, he fell on the habit of 
traveling the sixty or more miles across the wild, and 
often stormy, Chesapeake Bay, in a little sailboat, all by 
himself. A night and a day on the Bay in this boat, 
where, being becalmed, he was exposed to the hot sun 
and then to the cool night, brought on the illness of 
which, in a few weeks, he died. 

His parents were Rev. Elias and Anna Lackey 
Edmonds. He was born January 19, 1831. On Decem- 
ber 1, 1852, he was married by Rev. Reuben Jones to 
Miss Mary Eliza Ashley, daughter of William and Mary 
Elizabeth Ashley. Three children were born of this 
union, namely: William Henry, Mary Elizabeth, and 
Richard Hathaway. Mr. Edmonds died in Norfolk on 
July 23, 1858, and almost forty years afterwards, on 
March 28, 1898, his widow followed him to the grave. 



JAMES D. COLEMAN 
1878 

On November 21, 1878, Rev. James D. Coleman was 
suddenly called away by death. "The last act of his 
earthly life was to walk in the garden and gather some 
flowers, and then he returned to the house and went into 
his chamber, threw himself on the bed, died instantly, and 
went into the paradise of God to gather fruit from the 
tree of life, which grows on either side of the river of 
life." He was the son of Thomas B. and Elizabeth Cole- 
man (nee Coghill), and was born, it seems, at "Concord 
Farm,'' Caroline County, Virginia. The place where 
Concord Academy was located was an estate of 1,600 
acres. Here Mr. Coleman lived and farmed for many 
years, owning a number of slaves. In Caroline County 
his work as a minister of the gospel was done. In this 
county he was pastor of these five churches : Carmel, 
Bethel, Bethesda, Liberty, and Round Oak. As early as 
1855 he was pastor of the first of these churches, with its 
508 members. Of the second of these churches he was 
pastor for over twenty-five years, and of the other three 
for many years. 

Rev. T. S. Dunaway knew Mr. Coleman for more than 
a decade, having been associated with him in protracted 
meetings, and having spent days at a time in Mr. Cole- 
man's home. He wrote, after Mr. Coleman's death, a 
sketch of him for the Religious Herald. In this sketch 
he said : "As a man, in his physique, he was a noble speci- 
men of the race. Unusually tall, well proportioned and 
erect, his personal presence was most commanding. In 
almost any assembly, however large or distinguished, he 

452 



JAMES D. COLEMAN 453 

would have been a marked and an observed man. He 
looked like one of nature's noblemen, born for a leader 
and ruler. In his deportment he was dignified and polite, 
unostentatiously impressing himself upon you as a cul- 
tured gentleman. In character and temperament he was 
frank, sanguine, and resolute. He was a man of deep 
convictions, strong will, and inflexible purpose. He 
could not be swerved from any purpose or opinion 
except by convincing his judgment. All his traits of 
character were of the positive sort. Bold and ingenuous, 
he was incapable of dissembling.- While by nature made 
of the 'sterner stuff' of which martyrs are made, yet, 
under the softening touch of divine grace, he had a 
tender heart, an affectionate disposition, and a warm 
and sympathetic manner. . . . He had great confi- 
dence in the efficacy of prayer, and loved the mercy-seat. 
In a word, he was a consecrated man. One of his most 
intelligent church members writes of him thus : 'For the 
past twelve years he has neglected his farm and all 
worldly interests and devoted himself exclusively to his 
ministerial duties. His favorite themes were faith in 
Christ and the atonement so full and so complete.' 
. . . All of his sermons, which were methodically 
arranged, showed study, thought, and great familiarity 
with the Bible and other books. . . . His preaching 
was well adapted both to edify Christians and to awaken 
sinners. He frequently held protracted meetings in his 
own churches without any ministerial aid, and generally 
with great success in winning souls to Christ. . . . 
He was ardently attached to his members. . . . The 
sick were visited by him, and to the afflicted he adminis- 
tered consolation. ... It was at the bedside of a 
dying woman that he was attacked with the disease from 
which he never recovered. He went, the next day, the 
fourth Sunday in December, 1877, and preached, in great 



454 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

pain, the last sermon he ever delivered, which was one of 
unusual unction and power. Elder Coleman wielded a 
mighty influence in his immediate field of labor and in 
the Goshen Association, over which he presided as 
moderator for nine consecutive years. . . . Had he 
sought a more prominent place in the denomination and 
a more extended influence, and attended more frequently 
our general meetings, his talents and piety would have 
secured for him a place among the foremost of the Bap- 
tist ministers of the South." 



CHARLES HILL RYLAND 

1836-1914 

The first building at Westhampton, the home of 
Greater Richmond College, formally named by the 
Trustees, perpetuates the memory of the first President 
of the College, and of Charles Hill Ryland. In the last 
article that Dr. Ryland ever wrote for publication he told 
how Robert Burns, upon entering a new home, had the 
little servant go in first, bearing a bowl of salt and the big 
Bible, and suggested "that the formality of the opening 
at Westhampton include a revival of this unique old 
Scottish ceremony ; that some servant of the corporation 
be commissioned to bear through the open portals of the 
new home a copy of the Bible, which is the source book 
of all true wisdom, and a bowl of salt, representing the 
preserving grace of God, while a proud and rejoicing 
throng of officers, faculty, students, and other representa- 
tives of the great family of interested friends, shall take 
possession of the Temple of Learning, in the name of 
our Lord." And to a loved one he said: "I would love 
to bear them, when we move." But it was not to be so. 
Just a few weeks before the first session began at West- 
hampton he passed away. It would have been fortunate 
if he could have seen the work as it started as the new 
site, for, with all his associations with the past, he was 
deeply interested in the plans for larger things. Still, in 
a way, it was significant that his life closed exactly with 
the close of the career of the College at the old location. 
For forty years he served Richmond College with loyal 
heart and willing hands. In 1874 he was elected to the 
position of Secretary and Treasurer of the College, and 

455 



456 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

this position he laid down after thirty-seven years; but 
until the end of his life he continued with the institution 
that he loved so well, being still Secretary of the Board 
of Trustees and Librarian of the College. 

While Dr. Ryland will be remembered for many other 
tilings his name will be forever especially associated with 
Richmond College. He was deeply interested in the stu- 
dents and was greatly beloved by them. Many of them 
counted his influence in their lives one of the best assets 
that their college days gave them. In 1913 the Spider, 
the College annual, was dedicated to him, the dedication 
telling of how ''by his strong character, his wisdom, his 
great practical ability, and his unfailing Christian 
courtesy" he won "the love and confidence of thousands 
of men and women in and out of Virginia," and of how 
he daily illustrated to many generations of college stu- 
dents "the shining virtues of noble living, unflagging 
energy, clear and sound thinking, and unselfish devotion 
to the cause of Christian Education." His career as 
Treasurer was a most remarkable one. The tragic story 
of institutions of learning where mistakes have been made 
in financial policy, and where bad investments have proved 
fatal, stands in marked contrast to the history in these 
matters for forty years of Richmond College, and this 
wonderful record was in no small part due to the 
devotion, the painstaking care, and the sound judgment 
of Dr. Ryland. Practically not a dollar was lost in all 
these years. It was an interesting occasion when, at the 
close of his treasureship, he handed over to Mr. B. West 
Tabb, his successor, the securities of the College. The 
transfer took a whole day. There were present, besides 
the outgoing and the incoming treasurers, the Chairman 
of the Finance Committee of the College, the President 
of the College, and an expert accountant of the American 
Audit Company. "The conscientious fidelity of the 



CHARLES HILL RYLAND 457 

chairman and the accuracy of the accountant would have 
satisfied the Treasury of the United States. Every 
separate paper was opened and scrutinized. It was a 
pleasure also to see the scrupulous care with which all 
the securities of the College had been kept. Every bond 
was in its proper place, every coupon was accounted for, 
and all books balanced to the cent." When Dr. Ryland 
had taken charge, the assets of the College were so much 
smaller that the transfer was a simple matter. When 
Dr. Ryland became treasurer, the Endowment Fund of 
the College was $75,000, and when he laid down the 
work, it was $640,000. While Dr. Ryland was ever the 
friend of progress and enlargement in the work of the 
College, he never was willing to set such a pace as to 
jeopardize the resources of the College, or to threaten a 
sound financial basis. Again and again in the meetings 
of the Trustees his voice sounded out this note. While 
constantly careful about these great matters he had time 
and thought for things seemingly, in comparison, unim- 
portant, and yet not unimportant. His record of the 
meetings of the Trustees of the College was full and 
accurate. At the Commencement of the College in June, 
1907, through Dr. I. B. Lake the College was presented 
by some of its friends with an oil portrait of Dr. Ryland. 
The College was always on Dr. Ryland's heart, and the 
last thing that he ever wrote for publication was a brief 
summary of some important events in the history of the 
College, and at the time of his death he was at work upon 
an historical sketch of the College, and a brief biography 
of Dr. Robert Ryland. 

Not alone in the life of the College did the influence 
of Dr. Ryland count among Virginia, and Southern 
Baptists, for good. Before going to the College, and 
during most of his years there, he wrought as a pastor 
and preacher. He was sent forth into the ministry by 
his mother church, Bruington, King and Queen County, 



458 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

being ordained May 30, 1863. The presbytery was com- 
posed of these ministers: Richard Hugh Bagby, Andrew 
Broaddus, J. R. Garlick, J. H. Fox, and Alfred Bagby. 
A letter from the first of these ministers had urged the 
young man to consider the claims of the ministry, and 
this letter had had a sympathetic reply, and doubtless had 
no little to do with the life choice he made. Before his 
ordination he went, first as a missionary from Bruington 
to the Confederate Army, and then served as colporteur 
for the Army Colportage Board until the War closed. 
In 1865 he became pastor of Carmel Church, Caroline 
County, an organization that was once known as 
"Burrus," and, at even an earlier date, as Polecat. He 
gave up this field to take charge of the Baptist Sunday 
School work of the State, and from December, 1869, to 
January 17, 1874, was the beloved and successful pastor 
of the First Baptist Church in Alexandria, succeeding in 
this place Rev. E. J. Willis, and being followed by Rev. 
W. S. Penick. In 1870 Dr. Richard Hugh Bagby died, 
and Bruington "promptly and persistently" called Dr. 
Ryland to be their pastor. This and other calls to Selma, 
Leigh Street (Richmond), and Atlanta he declined. In 
1879, in connection with his work at the College, he be- 
came pastor of the Taylorsville Church. After some nine 
years he gave up the Taylorsville Church, but continued 
to serve the Walnut Grove Church. In 1907, when he 
resigned this church after a pastorate of twenty-five 
years, the gift of a loving-cup gave expression to the 
devotion of this people. Dr. Ryland was always an in- 
teresting and forceful speaker and a good preacher. 
Rev. S. M. Province tells of a sermon that Dr. Ryland 
preached in 1867 at the Lebanon Association from the 
text: "In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my 
soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" (Psalm 11:1), 
which proved "one of the great hours" of this hearer's 



CHARLES HILL RYLAND 459 

life. Another sermon that Dr. Ryland preached was 
epochal in the history of Virginia Baptists. It was the 
introductory sermon before the General Association in 
1882. The year before Dr. Ryland had been chairman 
of a committee of twenty-two appointed "to devise plans 
for securing more active cooperation between churches, 
District Associations, and this body." The sermon led 
to the establishment of the Committee on Cooperation, a 
committee that has meant so much for the development 
of Virginia Baptists along the lines of beneficence. A 
resolution offered by Dr. Ryland, at the General Asso- 
ciation in Staunton, in 1873, led to the "Memorial Move- 
ment" of 1873. An address before the Alumni led to his 
being called to become Financial Secretary ; and this office 
he accepted, taking up its work January, 1 874. Dr. Beale 
called attention, in his obituary, to the fact that Dr. 
Ryland was the founder of the Virginia Baptist His- 
torical Society, and from 1881 until his death its secre- 
tary, and then said : "He did more for the discovery and 
preservation of the materials of our denominational his- 
tory than any other man of his day. He was more active 
than any other in inducing churches to observe centennial 
services with a view to compiling and placing on record 
the events of their history; he was instrumental in 
securing, in connection with the General Association, 
perhaps all the strictly historical meetings that have been 
held. His devotion to the work burned like a holy fire 
on the altar of his heart, till strength and life failed him, 
and the future historian of Virginia Baptists will pause 
at times amidst his toilsome task to take heart over the 
help received from him, and to breathe a grateful bene- 
diction on the name of Charles Hill Ryland." Dr. Ry- 
land was a safe and helpful counselor, and many sought 
his advice, believing at once in his ability to see a question 
from all sides, and in his sincerity and unselfishness. A 
certain Baptist pastor went to him at a crisis in his life, 
and came away from the interview helped, and more than 



460 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ever assured of the guidance that God gives to those who 
want to walk in the way the Heavenly Father would 
have them go. Once in the early ministry of Dr. Ryland, 
as he and the family of a brother preacher were leaving 
the train at Variety Springs, in the Blue Ridge Moun- 
tains, if it had not been for his quick grasp, a little 
daughter of the other preacher would have rolled down 
a steep embankment ; this seems a simple incident, but it 
has its lesson: Dr. Ryland went through life reaching 
out the kindly hand of help. 

Dr. Ryland was born at Norwood, King and Queen 
County, Virginia, January 22, 1836, his parents being 
Samuel Peachy and Catherine Gaines Hill Ryland. 
After attending Fleetwood Academy he entered Rich- 
mond College in 1854. From Richmond College he 
passed to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 
in 1859, being one of the ten men whom Virginia sent 
to this the first session of the Seminary.* On January 
11, 1911, Founders' Day, Dr. Ryland delivered an ad- 
dress, at Louisville, to the Seminary students and Faculty, 
"Recollections of the First Year of the Southern Baptist 
Theological Seminary." In this address he told of how 
the students had great discussions as to who was the 
better preacher, Dr. Williams or Dr. Broadus. One Sun- 
day, when these two men were supplying the Greenville 
Church pulpit, Dr. Ryland's roommate, J. D. Witt, 
came back from the night service, having heard both 
these professors that day, and said : "Oh, Ryland, they 
beat each other every time." One morning Dr. Boyce's 
class in Systematic Theology was late. They explained 
that they had not had any breakfast, but that they had 
come anyhow. Dr. Boyce said they had done well to 
come, then excused himself for a few moments, and 
then the lesson went on. At the end of the hour, Dr. 
Boyce invited them into the next room, where he had 

*See list of these students, p. 161. 



CHARLES HILL RYLAND 461 

for them a delightful breakfast from his own table. 
Dr. Ryland was married on October 28, 1869, to Miss 
Alice Marion Garnett, the daughter of Dr. John Muscoe 
Garnett, of "Lanefield," King and Queen County. Dr. 
Ryland died August 1, 1914, at his home, Richmond. 
The funeral service that was held at the home was con- 
ducted by Rev. Dr. W. W. Landrum. Dr. Landrum 
began his remarks with these words : "Nearly eighty 
years of unsullied life and unselfish service." The burial 
was in Hollywood. On Sunday, November 15, 1914, a 
memorial service was held at Richmond College, when 
President F. W. Boatwright, Mr. George T. Terrill (one 
of the students), and Dr. R. H. Pitt spoke, and Hon. 
J. Taylor Ellyson read resolutions adopted by the Board 
of Trustees. Dr. Ryland's wife and these children 
survive him: Julia Brooke (Mrs. Ryland Knight), 
Annie E. (Mrs. James Hoge Ricks), Marion Garnett, 
Garnett, S. P. Ryland, III; C. H., Jr.; John M. Garnett. 

Dr. Beale, in his obituary read before the General As- 
sociation in Bristol, said : "Dr. Ryland was most efficient 
and valuable, not with respect only to the management 
and prudent use of the funds committed to his care, but 
also to those endeavors, methods, and policies whereby 
additional funds might be secured. Not in the public 
canvasses, which augmented the revenues of the College, 
merely, but in private ways by word and by letter, he 
rendered aid in this matter. 

"His eye was on the grounds and buildings for their 
care and preservation from defacement or injury; his 
hand was busy in the arrangement, classification, and 
protection of the Library, and was not less so with respect 
to the portraits, the specimens, and other treasures of the 
museum. In fact, over the College and all its equipment, 
everywhere, his spirit brooded with a loving and un- 
wearied interest. He stood as a sentinel on the high 
tower of our educational wall, ever on the alert, ever 
watchful to the last." 



ROBERT JOSIAH WILLINGHAM 

' 1854-1914 

Dr. George Mosse, an Irishman and a graduate of the 
University of Dublin, married Miss Phoebe Norton, of 
St. Helena Island, S. C, and a daughter of this union, 
Miss Jane, became the wife of Benjamin Themistocles 
Lawton. A daughter of Mr. Lawton, Miss Phoebe, be- 
came the wife of Thomas Willingham, and these were 
the parents of Benjamin Lawton Willingham. In 1848 
Mr. Benjamin Lawton Willingham was married to Miss 
E. M. Baynard, the daughter of a wealthy planter of 
Beaufort. S. C. Her mother was a noble Christian 
woman, and her life useful and beautiful, spent in the 
bosom of her family. Miss Baynard was educated at 
Beaufort and Charleston, and at the age of fourteen was 
baptized by Dr. Richard Fuller. She was a woman of 
"marked intelligence and deep piety." Her home was 
her kingdom, she was the companion of her children, 
and, though gentle, her wish was law. Her husband was 
a remarkable man. He was a native of Beaufort 
District, South Carolina, and was educated at the South 
Carolina Military School, Charleston. He became a man 
of striking personality, strong will, a leader of men, a 
tower of strength in his church, respected and esteemed 
by his community. To this husband and wife nine sons 
and four daughters were born. The third son of this 
large family, Robert Josiah, first saw the light May 15, 
1854, in Beaufort District, South Carolina. About a 
year after this event the family moved to Allendale, 
Barnwell County, and here, save for brief intervals, the 
early years of Robert Willingham were spent. "Gravel 
Hill," the Willingham residence, near Allendale, was a 

462 



ROBERT JOSIAH WILLINGHAM 463 

large, comfortable, old-fashioned house, with big porches, 
big attic, and high chimneys. The meeting-house of 
Concord Church, where the family worshiped, was a 
substantial but plain frame building, with the entrance 
on the side, and was about three miles from "Gravel 
Hill." The Sunday school knew nothing of "lesson 
helps" and "graded lessons," but catechisms were so used 
that the children learned from them the real gist of the 
gospel, and along with the catechisms went learning by 
heart many verses from the Bible; hymns were also 
committed to memory. One day the superintendent 
announced that the scholars must. all learn by heart all of 
the hymn "From Greenland's Icy Mountains." There 
was one little boy there that day who thought that he 
was so small he would not be expected to learn this 
hymn, but in this he was mistaken. It was his mother's 
custom, on the way home from church on Sunday, to 
talk to the children about the sermon and the lessons of 
the day, and at this time she also taught them hymns. 
So Sabbath after Sabbath the hymn was worked at until 
the little boy was able to stand up before the whole school 
and recite it. Especially did these lines 

"Shall we whose souls are lighted 
With wisdom from on high, 
Shall we to men benighted 
The lamp of life deny?" 

rivet themselves upon the heart of the boy. As the 
years came and went they rang in his memory, and no 
doubt had much to do with making him at last a great 
mission secretary. The two brothers, Calder and Robert, 
were nearly the same age, and as boys they ate, slept, 
studied, played, and prayed together, and on the fourth 
Sunday in August, 1867, both were baptized by Rev. 
Joseph A. Lawton. 

In the fall of 1868 Robert entered the University of 
Georgia, Athens. In 1873, after four years in the Uni- 



464 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

versity, and one year in the middle of his college course 
spent in business, he was graduated. The next four 
years were given to teaching and to business. His father 
was now a resident of Macon, Ga., and Robert became 
first assistant and then Principal of the Macon High 
School. In June, 1877, he entered his father's cotton 
warehouse and commenced to study law at night. On 
September 8, 1877, he was married to Miss Sarah 
Corneille Bacon, the beautiful and accomplished daughter 
of Robert and Belle Walton Bacon, of Albany, Ga. Now 
a crisis came in the young man's life. He heard a call. 
One day, as he was sitting on a street car waiting for it 
to start, Deacon Walker, his head white and his form 
bowed, came in. Presently the old man said : "My young 
brother, has it ever occurred to you that God wants you 
in some other business than that in which you are now 
engaged?" The young man looked up and answered: 
"Why do you ask such a question?" "Because," said 
the deacon, "I have an idea that God wants you to 
preach." The young man, thinking that some of his 
kin people had been talking to the old gentleman, said : 
"Who has been talking to you about this?" "No one," 
replied the deacon : "I have simply been impressed this 
way, and thought I would mention it to you." The same 
impression had already come to the young man, and not 
long after this conversation, in front of his father's 
counting house, he said to his father: "I believe, after 
all, I will have to preach. I can not get around it. The 
conviction is on me by day and by night. I want to do 
what God wants me to do, and I am impressed that to 
preach is His will." At these words great tears ran down 
his father's cheeks as he said : "Why, my boy, the evening 
you were born I prayed for that. I went aside into the 
little shed room of our home and prayed God, if it was 
His will, to make you a preacher of the gospel; but my 



ROBERT JOSIAH WILLINGHAM 465 

faith had grown very weak." So weak had the father's 
faith grown that, as his sons grew up and as he saw 
Robert's turn for business, he was wont to say : "R. J. 
will be one day the richest of my boys." On December 
19, 1877, the young man was licensed to preach by the 
First Baptist Church, Macon, and the first day of the fol- 
lowing January, having left his family in Macon, he 
reached Louisville to enter the Southern Baptist Theo- 
logical Seminary. He preached his first sermon January 
28, 1878, and on June 2, 1878, was ordained, at the First 
Baptist Church, Macon, the presbytery being composed 
of these ministers : Drs. T. E. Skinner, S. Boykin, A. J. 
Battle, J. J. Brantley, and T. C. Teasdale. His second 
year at the Seminary, Mr. Willingham had his family 
with him. Before this session was out, however, he 
accepted a call to the Talbotton (Georgia) Church. For 
part of his time at Talbotton he served also Geneva, 
Valley Grove, and Thomaston Churches. To reach his 
Thomaston appointment he had to drive twenty miles. 
Barnesville was his next pastorate. Here he found the 
Baptists weak and discouraged, but before his pastorate 
came to an end a spendid meeting-house costing $9,000 
had been built and paid for, and the membership largely 
increased. In 1887 he received two calls, one to the First 
Church, Houston, Texas, and the other to the First 
Church, Chattanooga, Tenn. He accepted the call to 
Chattanooga, and during the four years of his pastorate 
there led his people in the erection of a handsome stone 
meeting-house that cost some $50,000, and received into 
the church 496 members. During this pastorate he was 
given the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Mossy 
Creek (now Carson-Newman) College, and took a trip 
to Europe, Egypt, and Palestine. Towards the close of 
1891 he became pastor of the First Church, Memphis, 
Tenn. This charge continued a year and nine months, 



466 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

and from Memphis he moved to Richmond to assume the 
secretaryship of the Foreign Mission Board, a work to 
which he was to give some twenty-one years of his life, 
and render the greatest service of his ministry. It is 
interesting to remember that all through his fifteen years 
as pastor and preacher, up to the time when he took 
charge of the arduous duties in Richmond, he was always 
the zealous champion of Foreign Missions. An examina- 
tion of numerous associational minutes shows that at 
almost every session of the district and State gatherings 
of which he was a member he made the report or spoke 
on missions. Long before the Laymen's Movement he 
called special attention to the obligation of laymen in the 
matter of education and giving. At the Tennessee Con- 
vention, in 1889, in his report on Foreign Missions, he 
said : "Our pastors should preach and teach that the 
people should know. Our leading laymen should empha- 
size by word and deed the truth taught, while every 
Christian should seek and use the many sources of in- 
formation now so easily obtained. . . . Besides this, 
we need system. Not sporadic, spasmotic, high-pressure 
effort for giving, but regular, faithful worship of God in 
this grace also. . . . Every church should have a 
committee of one or more whose special duty it should 
be to see that Foreign Missions is faithfully presented to 
the people, and that they are urged to give of their means 
to its prosecution." 

In becoming Corresponding Secretary of the Foreign 
Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. 
Willingham was the third to hold this office, his prede- 
cessors being James B. Taylor and H. A. Tupper. For 
his work he had a remarkable combination of physical 
and spiritual power, with an inherited gift for business 
affairs. Upon coming to Richmond he was in the full 
tide of a vigorous manhood. He was a man of com- 



ROBERT JOSIAH WILLINGHAM 467 

manding appearance. He was six feet one inch tall and 
weighed some 250 pounds. He would have attracted 
attention in any crowd. A few years later, when he was 
setting out to go around the world and visit the various 
mission stations of his Board, he was on the Minnesota, 
the ship that carried Mr. Taft, who was then Secretary 
of War, and was going on business of the United States 
to the Philippines. A picture of the two men was taken 
under which was written: "Secretary of War and 
Secretary of Peace." And there was little to choose 
between the two men as to nobility of appearance and 
carriage. Dr. Willingham was a'fine business man. One 
of a group of brothers all of them remarkable for their 
business ability, his brother Broadus said of him: "Bob 
is the best business man of us all. If he had turned his 
attention to money-making he would have been the 
richest." Before entering the ministry he had put away 
a goodly sum for when men have to depend on their sav- 
ings to live. Dr. T. P. Bell says that while Dr. Willing- 
ham was Secretary he laid all this on the Master's altar. 
He resisted efforts to increase his salary, and always kept 
his salary $500 behind any other secretary of any Board 
of the Convention. Under his leadership the gifts of 
Southern Baptists to Foreign Missions rose in these 
twenty-one years from $106,332, in 1893, to $587,458, 
in 1914. Dr. Willingham brought to his task in Rich- 
mond the enthusiasm of a great heart, a genuine and 
absorbing piety, and a commanding and resolute will. 
The work of a world-wide evangelization became the 
passion of his soul. In the secret chambers of his life, 
and in the presence of great multitudes, he believed in 
the power of prayer and the need of the Holy Spirit. 
His public addresses for missions were powerful chiefly, 
perhaps, because those who heard him believed so fully 
in the sincerity and earnestness of the man. It was not 



468 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

an uncommon thing to see him and his audience with 
tears flowing down their faces, as they planned and 
pledged for greater things for God and His kingdom. 
His faith was simple and strong. "He believed sincerely 
that men everywhere are hopelessly lost without a saving 
knowledge of Jesus as Saviour. To the making of Christ 
known, in the remotist regions of the world, Dr. Willing- 
ham devoted every atom of strength at his command. 
. . . Hardly ever did he make an address without 
portraying the divine origin of missions." Dr. Landrum, 
in his address at Dr. Willingham's funeral, called atten- 
tion to how often he began his public prayer with the 
exclamation, "Holy, holy, holy," and then said : "Will- 
ingham was a subject, a loyal subject, of the King 
eternal, immortal, invisible. At the same time through 
grace he was a son of God, and held daily intercourse 
with Jesus Christ, his elder brother and Saviour. When 
he knelt in prayer with a small group of his brethren he 
literally talked to the Lord Jesus, calling Him 'blessed 
Master' with a tone of intense affection I have never 
heard coming from any other human lips." Dr. Bell says 
that once after a speech of Dr. Willingham had greatly 
moved the Convention a brother said to him : "What is 
there in W r illingham's speaking that produces such 
effect?" Dr. Bell replied: "He is the incarnation of a 
great cause, and that cause speaks out through him, with- 
out let or hindrance. It is not Willingham, it is Foreign 
Missions." At another time a keen observer compared 
him with another speaker, regarded as quite an orator, 

and said : "When you hear speak, you feel that 

his was a great speech, and you go away thinking of 

's great speaking power. But when you hear 

Bob Willingham you go away thinking Foreign Missions 
is the greatest thing in the world." 



ROBERT JOSIAH WILLINGHAM 469 

Whether in the office at Richmond, or going through 
the length and breadth of the South, or on the platform 
as a speaker for the cause he loved so well, he was a 
tireless worker. With pen and voice and purse and 
thought he labored for the success of missions. No one 
could come near him and not feel the earnestness and 
zeal of the man. Everything seemed secondary with him 
to the great purpose of his life. He brought things to 
pass. With him business sense and deep consecration 
and love to God were wedded in. a blessed union. At all 
times resourceful, when the crisis of a debt threatened 
he redoubled efforts and devised new plans for victory. 
The figures give inadequately the story of what was 
done for missions in the twenty years of his leadership. 
The report of the Foreign Board to the Convention, after 
Dr. Willingham's death, contrasting the beginning and 
close of his service with the Board, said : "Then there 
were only a few day schools ; now there are schools 
ranging from the kindergarten to the college and the 
theological seminary. Then there were no hospitals or 
printing plants ; now there are eight hospital buildings, 
where eleven medical missionaries treated 74,839 patients 
last year, and a number of printing plants, which send 
out millions of pages of literature. One of the greatest 
achievements of Dr. Willingham's administration was 
the remarkable increase of interest and growth in con- 
tributions from the churches. ... In 1893 there 
was hardly a church in the whole Convention that had 
any adequate conception of its duty to Foreign Missions, 
if we are to judge the interest of the church by its con- 
tributions. Then Virginia led all the States with a total 
contribution of $22,803 ; in 1914, Virginia again led with 
$80,655. It would be a remarkable story if we could 
tell it; how the great Secretary went from church to 
church, and with burning appeals aroused the people to 



470 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

do far greater things. Often with a single supreme 
effort he increased the contributions of a church many- 
fold for world-wide missions." 

Upon moving to Richmond, Dr. Willingham pur- 
chased, as his predecessor, Dr. Tupper, had done upon 
coming to Richmond, a spacious home. The residence 
Dr. Willingham bought was on the northeast corner of 
Fifth and Cary Streets, and was built by Mr. Wm. 
Barrett. Here Dr. Willingham maintained his home, 
with his many children, in generous and comfortable, 
but not lavish or extravagant, style, and received in 
gracious hospitality hundreds not to say thousands of 
his brethren, and scores of missionaries. Towards the 
end of his life, when some of his children had gone to 
homes of their own, he sold this large house and moved 
to a smaller one. Dr. Willingham was a faithful church 
member, not allowing his official duties to keep him from 
interest and loyalty to his pastor and church. He was 
in the habit of going to prayer-meeting, and often 
preached in the Richmond churches of his own and other 
denominations. After his death one of the secular papers 
in an editorial said : "He found time in the midst of 
nerve-consuming labors to perform that personal 
Christian service dear to his heart. Sometimes he 
staggered under the burden of his work, and sometimes 
he seemed ready to fall in his tracks, but he was scarcely 
less frequent in visitation than was the pastor of the 
church to which he belonged, and scarcely less constant 
in his devotion to the suffering. Many an humble mis- 
sion, many a struggling colored congregation, many a 
heart-wrung man, torn with temptation, was blessed by 
his endeavors. He never forgot, and often after months 
of separation, he would take up, precisely where he left 
it, some argument he had used in persuading a friend to 
nobler service." 



ROBERT JOSIAH WILLINGHAM 471 

Dr. Willingham was devoted to his family, and strove 
to make them happy. Since he came from a large house- 
hold he knew how to adapt himself to children. "From 
their babyhood he romped and played with them, tossing 
them up in the air and riding them on his feet. As they 
grew older he would sing to them and with them, enter- 
taining them with his college songs as well as with 
Sunday-school hymns. When the children had company 
he put himself out to help entertain them; was very fond 
of young people; enjoyed teasing them. He played 
chess, checkers, and backgammon with his children dur- 
ing their vacation, and in the late afternoons he and his 
older boys had games of quoits. As his children grew 
older he enjoyed walking with them, strolling, chatting, 
and getting acquainted. He would take them fishing 
and . often went swimming in the river with the boys. 
He looked forward to the little family picnics in the late 
afternoons; with a basket of good things all would take 
the car for Forest Hill or Westhampton Park for a 
pleasant time. . . . He seemed to feel it a privilege 
to show attention to the sons and daughters of his 
Baptist brethren at school in Richmond. So, many stu- 
dents from Richmond College and the Woman's College 
came under his roof. The last week of his life he 
thoroughly enjoyed having several College boys to tea. 
He was especially fond of music, and always delighted to 
have a crowd of young people gathered around the piano 
singing the old songs, and often he joined in." 

After having been urged for years by his brethren to 
take a trip to the far-away mission stations, on Septem- 
ber 2, 1907, he set out on such a trip with his wife, her 
expenses being provided privately by the generosity of 
one or two churches, friends, and relatives. They 
crossed the continent and visited the mission stations of 
the Southern Baptist Convention in Japan, China, and 



472 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Italy, and also those of the Northern Baptists in Burmah, 
and of the English Baptists in India. On April 8, 1908, 
he returned to his native land. What shall be said of his 
zeal for missions now, since it burned as a flame before 
he had seen with his own eyes the needs of the harvest 
fields? He would not pause to rest after his long 
journey, but began immediately, by speeches at the 
Seminary and before the Convention, to lay afresh on 
the hearts of his brethren the great work. 

In the fall of 1913 his health began to fail. Upon his 
return that year from the Maryland Convention, where 
he had delivered an address on the life of Dr. R. H. 
Graves, of Canton, he was taken sick. When he came 
to realize how ill he was he said one day to the doctor: 
"Doctor, my work is almost over." After nine weeks in 
his room he went South seeking renewed strength. He 
was anxious to be back at his work, and returned the 
middle of March. Every morning he would go down to 
the Foreign Board office. An unknown gentleman in 
Richmond was much impressed by this earnestness of 
Dr. Willingham, and told Dr. Willingham's son, whom 
he met on the way to the High School, that what his 
father was doing day by day in going thus to the office 
was one of the bravest sights he ever saw. Sunday 
morning, December 20, 1914, on his way to Sunday 
school, Dr. Willingham felt badly, and stopped at the 
Jefferson Hotel, that was just one square from his 
church. All was done that friends and physicians could 
do, but he had come to the end of his journey, and in 
two hours he breathed his last. 

The funeral, which took place at the Second Baptist 
Church, was conducted by the pastor, Rev. Dr. T. Clagett 
Skinner, who was assisted in the services by Rev. Dr. 
J. B. Hutson, President of the Foreign Mission Board; 
Rev. Dr. B. D. Gray, Corresponding Secretary of the 



ROBERT JOSIAH WILLINGHAM 473 

Home Mission Board ; Rev. Dr. C. S. Gardner, Professor 
in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ; Rev. Dr. 
R. H. Pitt, Editor of the Religions Herald; Rev. Dr. 
Emory W. Hunt, of the Foreign Mission Society of the 
Northern Baptist Convention; Rev. Dr. W. H. Smith, 
Rev. Dr. T. B. Ray, and Rev. Dr. J. F. Love, Secretaries 
of the Foreign Mission Board; and Rev. Dr. W. W. 
Landrum, Pastor of the Broadway Baptist Church, 
Louisville, Ky. The body was laid to rest in Hollywood 
Cemetery, near the graves of Curry, Hawthorne, 
Hatcher, and Whitsitt. 

Dr. Willingham was survived by his wife and these 
children: Robert J., Jr.; Corneille (Mrs. James W. 
Downer), Calder Trueheart, Benjamin Joseph, Belle 
(Mrs. Ralph H. Ferrell), Elizabeth Walton Willingham, 
Carrie Irvin (Mrs. T. Justin Moore), Harris E., Edward 
Bacon. 



HENRY W. DODGE 

1815 

On March 28, 1859, Dr. William F. Broadclus wrote 
from Fredericksburg to his friend, Wm. H. Cabaniss, 
of Lynchburg, suggesting that the church in Lynchburg 
call Rev. H. W. Dodge, then pastor in Berryville. In 
the letter Dr. Broaddus said of Dr. Dodge: "He is a 
very excellent preacher, of fine education, and of lovely 
character. He has an amiable wife and three children. 
I think (I am not sure), he could be moved. He has 
been years in his present field, universally loved and 
honored. Should yon think of him, correspond with 
him speedily. He will be much in demand." (The 
Berryville Church Minutes show that he became pastor 
in September, 1853, and that he resigned August 20, 
1859.) The Lynchburg church called Dr. Dodge, he 
accepted the call, and in July, 1859, began his work in 
Lynchburg. The very day that his family passed 
Harper's Ferry, on their way to Lynchburg, John Brown 
was hiding in the neighboring mountains. Dr. Dodge 
continued as pastor in Lynchburg until 1867. During 
this pastorate many, who are now members of the First 
Church, were brought into the kingdom of God. One 
of the oldest members of the church tells of a glorious 
revival in the church, during the War, that went on for 
three or four months, Dr. Dodge conducting the meeting, 
the singing being led by Mr. Cabaniss. 

At the annual session of the General Association, in 
1854, at which session J. G. Oncken, of Germany, was 
present and spoke. Dr. Dodge was appointed to preach 
the next year the introductory sermon. The next session 

474 



HENRY W. DODGE 475 

was held in Charlottesville, commencing on Thursday, 
May 31st. The minutes record that "On motion the 
Association adjourned to hear the introductory sermon, 
which was preached by Brother H. W. Dodge, from 
Jeremiah 23 : 6, 'The Lord our righteousness'." This 
year the Berryville church, which was then in the Salem 
Union Association, reported 78 baptisms. The follow- 
ing year the minutes show that Dr. Dodge had baptized 
into the fellowship of his church Rev. John T. Tabler, 
a Lutheran minister, who became a missionary of the 
State Mission Board in Highland County. In 1860 Dr. 
Dodge was appointed on several important committees 
of the General Association, and as a delegate to the 
Western Association that was to meet that year in Fin- 
castle. He was chairman of a committee to report the 
following year "on the best system of religious in- 
struction for our colored people." The following year 
the committee having no report it was continued, and it 
was several years before any report on this subject was 
made, and then there seems to have been a different 
committee. 

From Lynchburg Dr. Dodge moved to the Potomac 
Association, some time in 1865 or 1866, and took charge 
of these churches : Pleasant Vale, Upperville, and 
Ebenezer. About 1870 he resigned Pleasant Vale to 
accept a call to Ketockton. He resigned the pastorate of 
these churches in January, 1872, and then went to Texas, 
where the rest of his life was spent. He was married 
twice ; his first wife was Miss Abbie Brown, of Wash- 
ington, D. C, the daughter of Rev. Dr. O. B. Brown. 
The only child of this marriage (Mrs. William Kerfoot) 
is still living. His second wife was Mrs. Ida Latham; 
with her Dr. Dodge conducted a school in Lynchburg 
after the War. The two children of this marriage were 
William R. and Clarence. 



476 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

Dr. Dodge was a man of scholarship and literary- 
tastes. He was fond of books, and in his old age, when 
he did not have large means for the purchase of books, 
he wrote to a friend that he must needs content himself 
with reading the titles. He was of the opinion that 
every one should read with ease some other language 
than his own ; his choice would have been, "Greek — 
modem Greek," for he agreed with a French author in 
regarding the Greek as the most beautiful language in 
the world. One who knew Dr. Dodge well calls him 
"one of our greatest preachers, poetical, scholarly, pro- 
found, magnetic." He was bom November 16, 1815, in 
Rappahannock County. 



VINCENT THOMAS SETTLE 
1823-1892 

Rather the larger part of the ministry of Rev. Vincent 
Thomas Settle was spent in Missouri. He was, however, 
a native of Virginia, and some seventeen years he labored 
in the Old Dominion. He was born May 28, 1823, at 
"Mountain View" farm, Warren County (then Frederick 
County), Virginia, his parents being Vincent and 
Catherine Shull Settle. He was one of thirteen children, 
seven boys and six girls, and, of this number, nine lived 
to mature age. ''Mountain View," his birthplace, was 
originally granted to Lord Fairfax by the Crown. After 
having studied at the Lisbon and Front Royal Academies, 
Professors Latham and J. Worthington Smith being 
among his teachers, he himself was an assistant in the 
latter institution for several years. Upon his conversion 
he was baptized, by Rev. John Ogilvie, into the fellow- 
ship of the Goose Creek (now Pleasant Vale) Baptist 
Church, Fauquier County, Virginia. In October, 1853, 
at Front Royal, he was licensed to preach, and, in August 
of the following year, he and his brother, Josiah J. Settle, 
were ordained at St. Stephen's Church, Nelson County. 
His first pastorate, in 1856 and 1857, was at Lexington, 
Va., and his next at Mount Crawford, Rockingham 
County, Virginia. At this latter place he remained from 
1858 to 1861, and here he was married, April 30, 1859, to 
Miss Caroline L. Turley, youngest daughter of Cyrus 
and Elizabeth Turley. Of the five sons and three 
daughters born of this union, one son and one daughter 
died in infancy. About 1863, under the employ of the 
Old (Goshen) Board, he preached for the Mount Moriah 
Church, Amherst County. Before leaving Virginia to 

477 



478 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

live in the West, he had ministered, at one time or 
another, to these churches : Rose Union and Jonesboro, 
Nelson County ; Adiel, Albemarle County ; and Ebenezer, 
Amherst County. The Minutes of the General Asso- 
ciation for 1856 show that that year he attended the 
meeting of the body in Lynchburg, as a delegate from 
Ebenezer Church. His last pastorate in Virginia was at 
Mount Moriah. 

In 1872 he moved to Missouri, where for fifteen years 
he labored under the State and Home Boards. He 
organized the Baptist Church, at Fredericktown, Mo., 
and during his pastorate there the first meeting-house 
was built and paid for. His other pastorates in Missouri 
were Ironton, Potosi, Greenville, Desarc, Oran, Kelso, 
and Pleasant Hill. The last year of his life he was 
missionary of the St. Francis Association, and in this 
capacity visited all the churches in the Association. In 
this year he raised enough money to pay his own salary 
and all the indebtedness of the Association, and reported 
111 conversions and 103 baptisms. His last sermon was 
at the Wayne County Association, September, 1892, 
when his text was: "For if any be a hearer of the word 
and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural 
face in a glass." James 1 : 23. He passed away at 
Fredericktown, Mo., October 30, 1892. His wife, who 
survived him, died in the spring of 1915, and one of his 
sisters, Mrs. Sarah Settle Brown, still resides in 
Columbus, Ohio. Professor Joseph R. Long, of Wash- 
ington and Lee University, through Mr. F. V. Settle, 
of Amherst, Va., secured from Mrs. Brown practically 
all of the facts contained in this sketch. 



GEORGE B. BEALER 

1824-1870 

At the close of the Civil War, Rev. George B. Bealer 
became pastor of the Freemason Street Church, Norfolk, 
Va., but since his lungs were weak he did not 
remain long in Norfolk. From Norfolk he went to the 
pastorate of the church at Madison, Ga. After eighteen 
months at this place, his health continuing to decline, he 
gave up work and was carried to Atlanta for treatment. 
There he died June 2, 1870. He was born in Graham- 
ville, S. C, in 1824, and just before his death he begged 
to be carried back to South Carolina, saying: "Bury me 
in the lowlands. My heart is not here. It is among the 
people I know and love." The body was taken back to 
Darlington, and buried near the church where he had 
had a successful ministry of thirteen years. While he 
was pastor in Norfolk the Episcopal minister asked to be 
allowed to use the pool of the Freemason Street Church 
to baptize a candidate. His request was granted. Just 
before the baptism was to take place the rector asked 
Mr. Bealer if he would not immerse the candidate; his 
answer was : "I would suffer my right arm to be removed 
before I would do such a thing." 

Mr. Bealer was twice married. His first wife was 
Miss Bascot. She left one son. His second wife was 
Miss Emily J. Winkler, a sister of Rev. Dr. E. T. 
Winkler. Of this union there were four children. The 
two who are living are Rev. Alexander W. Bealer and 
Pierre Bealer. 



479 



BALLARD PRESTON PENNINGTON 

1858-1914 

The Red Sulphur district of Monroe County, West 
Virginia, was the birthplace of Ballard Preston Penn- 
ington. He was the son of William and Nancy Shrews- 
bury Pennington, and was born August 13, 1858. After 
having taught school for several years he studied law 
and was admitted to the bar. Soon after this, while 
attending a protracted meeting, he was converted, and 
the whole plan and purpose of his life changed. He 
united with the Baptists ("missionary"), and, answering 
a call that he heard, decided to be a preacher. He was 
ordained, and from that time to the end "his life became 
a fountain of grace which has flowed in an ever-broaden- 
ing stream, touching and blessing literally thousands of 
his fellow-beings. He had the gift of oratory, a rare 
command of language, and the love of God and man in 
his heart. A physical infirmity which made him a cripple 
would have brought to inactivity a less earnest nature, 
but he was endued with dauntless energy, and was always 
ready to go whithersoever he was needed, and where 
he could speak a good word for Jesus." He served as 
pastor to many churches in Monroe County, and probably 
preached to more churches in this county than any other 
preacher now living. Among the churches in Monroe of 
which he was pastor were Oak Grove, at Gates ; the 
Valley Church, near Zenith ; Sweet Springs, Sinks Grove, 
and Broad Run. At these last two churches he was 
pastor at two different periods, and at the time of his 
death. Twice, for two years in 1908-09, and again, not 
long before his death, he was pastor of the Princeton 

480 



BALLARD PRESTON PENNINGTON 481 

Church, which church is a member of the Valley Asso- 
ciation and so of the General Association of Virginia. 
From time to time he engaged in evangelistic work, in 
which work he was very successful, in West Virginia 
and other States. In 1912 he was elected Mayor of 
Princeton. 

After an illness of six weeks he passed away Tuesday 
morning, October 20, 1914. His wife, who was before 
her marriage Miss Mary Elizabeth White, and these 
children survive him: Mr. S. R. Pennington, Grace, 
Beecher, Mary, Virgil, and Jewel. The funeral, that 
took place at the Methodist Church, Princeton, was con- 
ducted by the pastors of the various churches of Prince- 
ton, the burial being in the Princeton Cemetery. This 
sketch is based on information furnished by Dr. Zed E. 
Bee and an article in Monroe (W- Va.) Watchman. 



ISAAC V. LUKE 

1787 (?) -1879 

At the time of his death, which took place September 
17, 1879, Rev. Isaac V. Luke was the oldest Baptist 
minister in the State. He had reached the great age of 
ninety-two. He was born in Nansemond County. He 
was a Baptist minister for over fifty years. He 
served through the War of 1812, and two days before 
his death received his last pension. He was called 
"Uncle Luke," and was a great favorite with all who 
knew him. "He bore but few marks of the decrepitude 
of age, and preserved wonderful freshness in appear- 
ance, while his mental faculties were unimpaired. His 
was a long and useful life. His ministerial career was 
blessed to the good of thousands of souls." He was 
ordained from the Western Branch Church, Portsmouth 
Association, the Association in whose bounds his life 
seems to have been spent. For many years he lived at 
Suffolk. One of the churches that he served was 
Bethesda. His son, Rev. J. M. C. Luke, as his father, 
was ordained from the Western Branch Church, and was 
for a time pastor of the Lake Drummond and Deep 
Creek Churches, and later of the Elizabeth City (N. C. ) 
Church. On September 19, 1879, a large crowd gathered 
for the funeral; the service was conducted by Rev. Dr. 
O. F. Flippo, who spoke from the text : "I have waited 
for thy salvation, O Lord." Genesis 49:18. Almost all 
of this sketch is taken from a letter of Dr. Flippo, in the 
Religious Herald for December 4, 1879. 



482 



THOMAS TREADWELL EATOX 
1845-1907 

The Western Recorder for August 12, 1915, contained 
an editorial with this heading: "T. T. Eaton." This 
article said : "We are now getting far enough away 
from the grave of this giant of grace and truth to form 
an impartial estimate of his life and character. That he 
was a very remarkable man, all admit, and that he filled 
a place all his own, none will deny. ... In our time 
we have known many great men and ministers, yet, 
all in all, we are disposed to regard T. T. Eaton as the 
most versatile genius it has ever been our good fortune 
to know. . . . He seemed to know much about 
many things, and something about everything. . . . 
With him thought was an instant conclusion rather than 
a tedious process." This same number of the Recorder 
contained an article of his reprinted, by urgent request, 
from an issue of 1909, entitled: "Call to Moral Men." 
The Recorder carries on its front page, from week to 
week, the motto selected by Dr. Eaton, with the Greek 
for the first two words : "Contend earnestly for the 
faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." 

Thomas Treadwell Eaton was born at Murfreesboro, 
Tenn., November 16, 1845, his parents being Dr. Joseph 
H. Eaton and Esther M. Treadwell. At this time Dr. 
Eaton was professor in the College in Murfreesboro, the 
institution that in 1847 became Union University, with 
him as its president. This Dr. Eaton, when a child, 
during a severe illness, was pronounced by the physicians 
to be dead. The mother, however, despite all appear- 
ances and the verdict of the doctor, maintained that the 

483 



484 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

child was not dead, because he was the child of too many- 
prayers to die so young. Young Eaton, after attending 
Union University, went to Madison University, Hamil- 
ton, N. Y., where his uncle, George W. Eaton, was 
president. When the Civil War broke out he returned 
home to enter the Confederate Army. His service as 
a Confederate soldier was "the thing in his life of which 
he was most proud." He was one of Forrest's men, and, 
though only a youth, was made a "headquarter scout" 
by Gen. Stonewall Jackson. After the War he entered 
Washington College, now Washington and Lee Univer- 
sity, being there under General Lee. Before his gradu- 
ation he was tutor, and had been offered the place of 
assistant professor; at his graduation Commencement 
he took the orator's medal, and made two of the four 
speeches delivered by students. During his college life 
he accepted Christ, and was baptized by Rev. John 
William Jones. 

From 1867 to 1872 he was professor in Union Uni- 
versity, and his first pastorate was at Lebanon, Tenn. 
From this place he went to take charge of the First 
Baptist Church, Chattanooga. At Petersburg, his next 
field, he remained some five years. Next came his last 
and his longest pastorate, namely, at Walnut Street 
Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky. Here he remained some 
twenty-seven years. During these years the meeting- 
house on the corner of Walnut and Fourth Streets was 
sold and the present meeting-house on Third and St. 
Catherine Streets built. Before this period Dr. Eaton 
had been editor of the Christian Herald, of Tennessee, 
and a contributor to the Religious Herald and other 
religious papers. For a large part of his life he was 
editor of the Western Recorder. Before the end of his 
life he had written a number of books, namely, "Talks 
to Children," "Talks on Getting Married," "Angels," 



THOMAS TREADWELL EATON 485 

and the "Cruise of the Kaiserin." He had many popular 
lectures, two of these lectures having these titles : "Poor 
Kin," "Woman." 

Dr. Eaton was a man of tireless energy both of mind 
and of body. It seemed as if his hunger for 
knowledge and his love of work would make it im- 
possible and unnecessary for him to sleep. He used to 
say that he had learned to be in two places at one time 
and that he had hopes of learning to be in three at the 
same time. His capacity and versatility were often im- 
posed on. He told how in one of his pastorates a member 
sent for him posthaste all the way across the city on a 
midsummer day. When he arrived at the house, very 
hot and out of breath, the good woman said she wanted 
him to help her get a cook. While he was pastor in 
Louisville a countryman once shipped to him a carload 
of mules, asking him to sell them and remit the money. 
Yet another countryman asked him to look into the 
character of a certain clerk who was asking for the hand 
of the farmer's daughter. 

He was a leader among Kentucky and Southern 
Baptists, and a debater of great ability. In appearance 
he was tall, with a head and face in which the marks of 
intellectual strength were very clear. His face as it 
appears in the excellent steel engraving, in the Minutes 
of the Southern Baptist Convention of 1908, shows to 
great advantage and with great accuracy his high brow, 
his clear-cut nose and mouth, his strong, bright eyes. It 
is the face of the thinker, of the man of action. 

Suddenly on his way to a Chautauqua, at Blue Moun- 
tain, Miss., June 27, 1907, where he was to lecture, he 
was stricken with apoplexy, at Grand Junction, Tenn., 
and was soon dead. A great crowd attended the funeral 
at the Walnut Street Church, Louisville. There were 
some one hundred and fifty ministers present. Addresses 



486 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

were made by Drs. T. T. Martin, W. P. Harvey, P. T. 
Hale, Lansing Burrows, and C. M. Thompson. The 
sermon was preached by Dr. J. M. Weaver. His wife, 
who before her marriage was Miss Alice Roberts, died 
some two years after her husband. Their two children, 
Joseph H. and Maria (Mrs. E. C. Fanner), are still 
living. Dr. Eaton was one of three children who lived 
to man's estate. 



TRAVIS BUTHY THAMES 

1854-1914 
While Dr. Thames was pastor of the First Baptist 
Church, of Danville, a Virginia Baptist preacher was 
helping in a protracted meeting at one of the other 
Baptist churches of the city. He was the guest of Dr. 
Thames one Saturday night and for breakfast the next 
morning. At this meal mushrooms were served, with 
delicious beefsteak. The visitor expressed some surprise 
that so rare and choice a thing as mushrooms could be 
found in the Danville market. Dr. Thames answered 
that he and his wife got them often on their bicycle rides, 
for they were plentiful in the fields. While Dr. Thames 
was in Danville he was one of the founders of the Book 
Club, and was often called on for addresses by the 
Wednesday Afternoon (Literary) Club, an organization 
among the women of the city, and by the Daughters of 
the American Revolution. One winter, probably when 
he was pastor in Elizabeth, he spoke every week for the 
public schools of New York City. When the Baptist 
General Association met in Petersburg, in 1895, Dr. 
Thames presented the minority report of a committee 
appointed a year before to consider and report on the 
consolidation of the State Mission and the Sunday- 
School Boards. The minority report favored the con- 
tinuance of the two Boards. Feeling was tense. There 
was decided difference of opinion. Dr. Thames, through 
all the discussion, was cool, good-natured, patient, genial, 
calm. A difficult crisis was passed. A good judge who 
was present said that Dr. Thames had done much to save 
the situation. The following year, when the Association 
met with the Grace Street Church (in the temporary 

487 



488 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

tabernacle on West Grace), Dr. Thames was the preacher 
of the introductory sermon, his text being II Timothy 
4:7: "I have kept the faith." He was a preacher of 
unusual charm and power. His sermons were carefully 
thought out, couched in choice language, and most im- 
pressively delivered. Dr. W. R. L. Smith speaks of his 
voice as "that soft, flute-like voice," and says that an 
elocution teacher once said to Dr. Thames : "Sir, your 
voice is worth a fortune." Dr. Smith calls him "a 
genuine orator." As a companion he was genial, sunny, 
and, upon occasion, full of fun and humor. To quote 
again from Dr. Smith : "Those were fine qualities that 
fitted him to win success and popularity in each of his 
fields, North and South. He blessed every community 
he touched. Nature and grace joined to fashion a rare, 
gentleman. He was a social prince. The charm of him 
was an inheritance from a noble Alabama family. 
He could be gracious without condescension, 
dignified without stiffness, and sympathetic without 
affectation. . . . Never dogmatic or intolerant he 
cultivated large hospitality to all truth. In Christian 
sympathy he was broad, and in all human interests he 
was generous. The center of his soul was poised on 
the changeless conviction that Christ is the Lord of life. 
He saw God in the Nazarene, whom he adored as the 
divine-human model of moral and spiritual perfection. 
. . . Here was the lodestar of his ministry, recon- 
ciliation to the Father, and resemblance to the Son." 

Travis Buthy Thames was born at Claiborne, Ala., 
August 18, 1854, his parents being Mary McCollum and 
Cornelius Ellis Thames. After his college course he was 
at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, three 
sessions and parts of two others, in all from 1874 to 
1879, becoming an "English Graduate." His several 
pastorates were: Shelby ville, Ky. (five years) ; La Salle 



TRAVIS BUTHY THAMES 489 

Avenue Church, Chicago (five years) ; First Church, 
Danville, Va. (thirteen years) ; First Church, Elizabeth, 
N. J. (eight years) ; and Newnan, Ga. (two years). He 
passed away Wednesday evening, February 25, 1914, at 
Newnan. During the funeral services held in Newnan, 
which were conducted by Dr. J. S. Hardaway (who was 
assisted by Pastor Edmondson of the Methodist Church, 
Pastor Hannah of the Presbyterian Church, and Drs. 
J. F. Purser and B. D. Gray), the business houses of 
the city were closed, and a great audience taxed the 
capacity of the church. Saturday morning, February 
28th, services were held in the Danville Baptist Church, 
conducted by the pastor, Dr. J. E. Hicks, and Dr. 
W. R. L. Smith. The burial took place in Green Hill, 
Danville's city of the dead. Dr. Thames's wife, who 
was, before her marriage (which occurred December 23, 
1880), Miss Sallie Long, survives him, and these 
children: Mamie Lyon (Mrs. R. R. Patterson), John 
Long Thames, Sarah Curd Thames; one daughter, 
Lydia Long Thames, is dead. 



EDWARD KINGSFORD 
1788(?)-1859 

It is supposed that the American city of Boston re- 
ceived its name through compliment to Mr. Isaac 
Johnson, "one of the foremost in the enterprise" of the 
establishment of the town ; he was from Boston, in 
Lincolnshire, England. This English town was the birth- 
place of Edward Kingsford. He first saw the light, 
probably in 1788. While an officer in Hindustan, in the 
employ of the East India Company, he was converted. 
He resigned his commission and gave himself at once to 
the work of the ministry. Once in his earlier ministry 
he was at a conference of the Baptist ministers of 
London. They met in a large room in a tavern. Down 
the center of the room there was a table and along the 
middle of the table a row of candles. "At each side of 
the table were seats for the ministers, and in front of 
each seat there was a glass of grog. Each preacher 
held a pipe in his hand, and alternately sipped his grog 
and puffed at his pipe.'' Years afterwards when Dr. 
Kingsford described the scene he said that "as he stood 
at the door and looked down this room, ... it 
looked more like the mouth of hell than any place he 
had ever seen." This scene may have had something 
to do with the strong aversion that later in life he is 
known to have had towards the use of strong drink and 
tobacco. Once at the Rappahannock Association the 
report on temperance described liquor dealers as "doing 
the work of the devil." Rev. Thomas B. Evans objected 
to the language since it cast an aspersion on some 
respectable men who were engaged in the traffic. Dr. 
Kingsford arose and said that he "fully agreed with 

490 



EDWARD KINGSFORD 491 

Brother Evans that the language of the report was un- 
justifiable." Here he paused, and then added, "with a 
sardonic smile and great emphasis : 'It is a slander on 
the Devil ! No respectable devil would be caught in a 
grog shop !' " 

When pastor of Grace Street, Richmond, Dr. Kings- 
ford succeeded, "in a large measure, in making his church 
a total abstinence body." Dr. Jeter was less extreme in 
his temperance views, and the result, in his pastorate at 
Grace Street, was that a number withdrew from the 
church and organized what was known as a "test 
church." "He and Dr. Kingsford had a sharp news- 
paper controversy on the ecclesiastical aspects of the tem- 
perance question." 

From May 1, 1834, to February 1, 1836, Dr. Kings- 
ford was pastor of the Second Baptist Church (now the 
Tabernacle Church), of Utica, N. Y. During this 
pastorate forty-four members were received by letter and 
twenty-three by baptism. 

Dr. Kingsford began his pastorate in Harrisburg, in 
November, 1837, and offered his resignation December 
31, 1839. This was a stormy pastorate and closed by 
Dr. Kingsford's dissolving the church, because he felt 
that the debt, the lack of male members, and the attitude 
of the members towards each other and towards him 
rendered it "impossible to maintain a scriptural visibility." 
These are the facts as they appear on the church record, 
though it may be that the account is a prejudiced one. 

He became pastor of the Baptist church in Alex- 
andria, June 1, 1841. At this time there were 
probably less than one hundred white Baptists in 
Alexandria, and "these were almost entirely of the 
plainest and poorest people. Worse than that they had 
quarreled on the subject of missions and separated into 
two parties." Both sides claimed the meeting-house. 



492 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

While the matter was in the courts the anti-mission 
party used a ladder and got in through the galleries and 
held their meetings. The church was finally given to 
the other party, that during the law process had wor- 
shiped in the Lyceum, Dr. Kings ford conducting the 
services. The people of the town were greatly prejudiced 
against the Baptists, and Dr. Kings ford came in for his 
share of censure, but he held his ground. "Once he set 
the whole town in a state of excitement by preaching a 
sermon on the subject of baptism. . . . The large, 
old-fashioned pulpit was filled almost" with the works 
of Pedo-baptist authors from whom he quoted. Dr. 
Kingsford certainly had "a difficult task." Indeed, he 
once declared that if it had not been for the encourage- 
ment his blind "preachers" gave him he would have 
resigned long before he did. A certain Sunday after- 
noon a young lady was baptized in the Potomac River, 
and the following Saturday afternoon her pastor, Dr. 
Kingsford, came and asked her to visit with him his 
"preachers," from whom he said he drew inspiration for 
his work on Sunday. Imagine her surprise when she 
found these "preachers" to be blind colored women over 
one hundred years old. Their "testimony freely given, 
left no room for doubt, . . . and it was evident that 
God's Holy Spirit had dispelled nature's darkness from 
their minds." One of these "preachers" besides being 
blind was totally helpless. The Dorcas Society of the 
church, that "without officers or parliamentary rules" 
made "comforts, flannel undergarments, linsey-woolsey 
gowns, hoods, cloaks, and so on," for all the needy mem- 
bers, provided a colored woman to stay with this aged 
and helpless one. But once, when a great snowstorm 
prevented travel for several days, the watcher forsook 
her charge, and when Mrs. Daniel Cawood reached the 
house, she found poor Aunt Mary sitting in her chair, 
where she had spent the long and lonesome hours. 



EDWARD KINGSFORD 493 

On September 21, 1845, Dr. Kingsford resigned the 
care of the Alexandria church. His next charge was 
the Fourth Church, Richmond. Here he succeeded 
Rev. A. B. Smith. In 1849 he became pastor of 
Grace Street Baptist Church, his predecessor being Dr. 
David Shaver. Upon his resignation, in the spring of 
1852, Dr. J. B. Jeter became pastor of the church. Of 
Dr. Kingsford and his Grace Street pastorate Dr. 
Hatcher says : "He was an Englishman of generous 
culture and high Christian character. He was also 
an able preacher, . . . rigid and severe in his 
methods. He had the eye of a critic, and against 
that which seemed wrong in his sight he was never slow 
to utter his censure. With his exacting and imperious 
spirit it was not easy to maintain harmony with an in- 
stitution so intensely democratic as an American Baptist 
Church. . . . It is creditable to Dr. Kingsford that 
when he ascertained that Dr. Jeter was to be his suc- 
cessor, he worked with great diligence to cleanse the 
church of certain disorders which then existed. In this 
unselfish undertaking he was eminently successful. 
. . . Dr. Kingsford was a man of peculiar mould, 
but he was a man of lofty Christian principle 
and not really capable of an ignoble act." During his 
pastorate at Grace Street, Dr. Kingsford seems to have 
made a trip to Europe, and it is interesting to know that 
at this early period the Foreign Mission Board had 
thought of Southern Europe as a mission field. On 
October 6, 1850, the Board resolved to adopt France as 
a field of missionary labor, and Dr. Kingsford, who was 
about to visit that country, was "requested to make such 
inquiries ... as would afford necessary informa- 
tion to the Board." 

"One morning Richmond blossomed out with big 
theater posters, prepared by him, representing the drama 



494 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

of the judgment day." Dr. Kings ford, although severe, 
had a generous nature and a warm, sympathetic heart. 
A lady in Richmond, deeply afflicted by the death of an 
almost idolized child, was greatly comforted by his tender 
sympathy, and "amazed at the unquestioning confidence 
with which he spoke of leading her child by the hand 
through the streets of the New Jerusalem, when he 
should himself enter the gates of the Golden City." 

From Richmond Dr. Kings ford again made Alex- 
andria his home, and he and his wife were received back 
to the fellowship of the Alexandria church, on a letter 
from Grace Street, September 2, 1852. On March 23, 
1853, however, they were granted a letter to unite with 
the Back Lick. It seems that of this church, located in 
Fairfax County and belonging to the Columbia Asso- 
ciation, Dr. Kings ford now became pastor, though he 
still resided in Alexandria. At the organization of the 
Potomac Association, in 1856, Dr. Kings ford preached 
the introductory sermon from the text Philippians 1 : 27, 
was on the committee to draft the Constitution and Rules 
of Decorum for the body, and was president of the "Act- 
ing Board." In 1857 and 1858, when his home was in 
Washington, he was moderator of this Association. 
During all his years among Virginia Baptists he was 
distinctly a leader. At the annual meetings of the "Gen- 
eral Association" he was on important committees, and 
took active part in the deliberations. As early as 1846, 
when the Education Society report came up, he suggested 
that the debt reported "presented an obstacle to his speak- 
ing." A collection was taken amounting to $200, and 
then he went on with his address. In 1855 he was one 
of those who made a pledge when the Education Board 
needed $1,000 to sustain their beneficiaries. In 1856 he 
offered a resolution providing that the return certificates 
required by the railroads be printed under the direction 



EDWARD KINGSFORD 495 

of the Secretary of the Association, and that there be 
for each a charge of six cents, and that any balance after 
paying for the printing be given to the Sunday-school 
library of the church (Lynchburg) entertaining the As- 
sociation. Of Dr. Kingsford Dr. Andrew Broaddus 
says : "As a speaker both in the pulpit and on the plat- 
form, his manner was impressive. His gesture was be- 
coming but not abundant, and his voice was strong and 
distinct, but without the slightest touch of pathos or 
tenderness. . . . He excelled especially as a reader 
of the Scriptures. I once heard him read a chapter so 
impressively that, amid the death-like stillness of the 
congregation, a woman burst out into a scream." 

In appearance Dr. Kingsford was a typical English- 
man, being "burly, red faced, clean shaven." Dr. 
Broaddus thus describes him : "In person Dr. Kingsford 
was large and portly, and in stature slightly above 
medium height. Dressed with faultless taste — a large 
white cravat, without a collar, about his neck, with a 
florid skin, a large mouth, a substantial nose, intelligent, 
but rather severe blue eyes, a well-shaped head sur- 
rounded by a brown wig, and a military bearing, . . . 
Dr. Kingford's personal presence was striking and 
imposing." 

During his residence in Alexandria and also in Rich- 
mond Mrs. Kingsford conducted a school for young 
women that, because of its remarkable excellence, com- 
manded the patronage of the very best people of these 
communities. Mrs. Kingsford was a woman of strong 
character, and of great intelligence and unusual culture. 
She controlled the school herself, allowing her husband 
no function in its workings save to lead the devotions, 
and "to criticize in a pleasant way the language of the 
young ladies." There were in the school (in Richmond) 
some forty boarders and some sixty day pupils. The 



496 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

school occupied a large mansion that had been the home 
of one of the first families of the city. Before moving 
into this house Mrs. Kingsford "paid the sum of $80.00 
to have it thoroughly scoured and cleansed from cellar to 
attic." Every morning at an early hour she was up and 
about, to see that the servants and teachers were all in 
their places. She went to market herself, taking with 
her several of the girls, that by actual experience they 
might learn how to lay in provisions for a large 
household. 

In 1850 the Missionary Sewing Society of Grace 
Street Church, by a contribution of $176.15, made Mrs. 
Kingsford and two other ladies life members of the 
Virginia Baptist Foreign Mission Society. 

It seems that Dr. Kingford's last years were spent in 
Washington City. Here, on Wednesday, July 27, 1859, 
he passed away in his seventy-first year. The next day, 
at the Tenth Street Church, Drs. Isaac Cole, S. P. Hill, 
and G. W. Samson, took part in the funeral services. 
The funeral procession was one of the largest ever seen 
up to that day in the city. Mrs. Kingsford survived her 
husband and lived to quite an advanced age. 



J. C. CARPENTER 

1834-1897 

Rev. Emmett J. Mason, Jr., presented to the Augusta 
Association, in 1897, an obituary of Rev. J. C. Carpen- 
ter, whose funeral sermon he preached at the Natural 
Bridge Baptist Church, Virginia. All of the facts of 
this sketch are taken from this obituary. Brother 
Carpenter was born in Spottsylvania County, Virginia, 
October 12, 1834; he died August 10, 1897, from 
typhoid fever. He was converted at the age of eighteen 
and baptized into the fellowship of the County Line 
Church. He was educated at Greenville, Richmond 
College, and Washington and Lee University. During 
the War he served as chaplain to Federal prisoners in 
Castle Thunder and Libby Prison, Richmond. He was 
in the Bible and colportage work for thirty-five years. 
In 1875 he was ordained and served in Spottsylvania, 
Rockbridge, and Franklin Counties, Virginia, and in 
Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, Fayette, and Mason 
Counties, West Virginia. 



497 



DAVID SHAVER 

1820-1902 

Abingdon, an attractive town in the fair Washington 
County, Virginia, was the birthplace of David Shaver. 
He first saw the light on November 22, 1820. His 
parents were Presbyterians, and at the early age of seven 
he made a profession of his faith in Christ. Since he 
was so young, he was not allowed to unite with the 
church. Not until he was sixteen did he take this step, 
and then he made the Methodist Protestant Church his 
choice. He decided to preach, and before he was twenty 
entered the itinerant ministry of the Virginia Conference. 
Under one of his sermons Miss L. C. Nowlin, of Lynch- 
burg, was converted, and then, in 1843, became his wife. 
(Of this union ten children were born.) When con- 
vinced that he had entered the ministry without adequate 
equipment, he suspended his active labors and spent three 
years in "diligent preparation for pulpit service." As a 
child he had never heard a Baptist minister preach, but 
when, in his pastorate of the Methodist Protestant 
Church, in Lynchburg, he was called on to sprinkle a 
dying infant, he was led to study the whole matter of 
baptism. He found that his argument that the Baptists 
were wrong, because they were at one extreme (the 
Catholics being at the other), was false. He became a 
Baptist, being baptized in 1844. Upon the occasion of 
his baptism he preached, presenting his reasons for this 
step. This sermon led a young man of Episcopal 
tendencies to become a Baptist; this was C. C. Chaplin, 
afterwards well known as a Baptist minister. After his 
ordination Mr. Shaver became pastor of the Baptist 
Church right across the street from the flock (Methodist) 

498 



DAVID SHAVER 499 

he gave up. After a brief season in Lynchburg he ac- 
cepted, in October, 1846, the pastorate of the Grace 
Street Baptist Church, Richmond. In two years, by 
reason of trouble with his throat, he resigned at Grace 
Street to take up agency work for the Domestic Mission 
Board. In 1853 he came back into the active ministry, 
taking charge of the church at Hampton, Va. About 
the end of 1856 he gave up the work at Hampton and 
became editor of the Religious Herald. The front page 
of the Herald now bore this statement : "By Sands, 
Shaver & Co.," and the issue of March 17, 1859, this 
direction: "Office, corner of Main and 10th Sts., above 
Post-office." He continued with the Herald until its 
outfit was burned at the surrender of Richmond in 1865. 
After the paper was reestablished by Jeter and Dickin- 
son, he was Associate Editor until 1867, when he moved 
to Atlanta and became Editor of the Christian Index. 
After closing his work with the Index, in 1874, and after 
living for a season at Conyers, Ga., Dr. Shaver was in 
charge of the Third Church, in Augusta, and then, 
in 1878, became instructor in the Theological Seminary 
(of the Home Mission Society) for colored young men. 
This institution was located, first in Augusta, and then 
in Atlanta. When Dr. Shaver reached middle life his 
countenance wore "the pale cast of thought" and sug- 
gested the student. While all through life he seems to 
have had the handicap of frail health, nevertheless he 
lived to the good age of over four score years. His last 
days he spent in the home of his son in Augusta. Of 
this period of his life, Dr. Lansing Burrows, who was 
his pastor, says : "He was in his last days an invaluable 
adviser and friend of the brethren. . . . His weekly 
meeting with the pastors in Augusta was of untold bless- 
ing to them." He passed away at the home of his son 
January 13, 1902. 



THOMAS CORBIN BRAXTON 

Thomas Corbin Braxton was born at "Mantua," King 
William County, the home of his parents, Carter Braxton 
and his wife, Sarah Moore. He was a grandson of Carter 
Braxton, "The Signer" (of the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence). He was descended in the third generation from 
Robert Carter ("King Carter") and Elizabeth Landon, 
from whose loins have sprung probably more names emi- 
nent in Virginia history than from any other couple. In 
early life he removed to Richmond County, and, having 
been ordained to the Baptist ministry, assumed the care of 
Farnham Church, which he joined by letter on March 
8, 1828. His labors in the vicinity of this church and 
Royal Oak, five miles distant, were greatly blessed, and 
at the latter place a church was established in 1832, and 
named Jerusalem. He became pastor of this body, upon 
its organization, and served them nearly ten years. For 
one year he was pastor of Rappahannock Church, near 
the close of his ministry. He was one of the presbytery 
who ordained Rev. John Pullen, May 7, 1843. He was 
one of the founders of Baptist churches in the Northern 
Neck. A picture of Mr. Braxton indicates that he had 
dark blue eyes, dark brown hair, rather a thin nose, and 
a large mouth, and that while he was very good looking, 
his expression was very stern. He married Miss Maria 
Davis and his children were Thomas, John, and Lucy. 
The son John became prominent in political circle at the 
close of the Civil War, and served efficiently in the Legis- 
lature from Richmond and Lancaster Counties. 

On December 29, 1841 he was elected pastor of the 
Fredericksburg (Va.) Church, where he served until 
January 2, 1843, when he declined the call again ex- 
tended to him (those were the days of "annual" calls), 
expressing a desire to be a traveling missionary. 

500 



JAMES LANCASTER GWALTNEY 

1799-1864 

James Lancaster Gwaltney was born in Isle of Wight 
County, Virginia, in the neighborhood of Mill Swamp 
Church, November 28, 1799. Dr. Beale, in his 
"Semple's History of Baptists of Virginia," says that he 
entered the ministry from the Black Creek Church, 
Southampton County. In 1832 and 1833 he was pastor 
of this church, and later of the Suffolk Church, and still 
later of the Cumberland Street Church, Norfolk. In 
1835 we find him working as a -missionary of the Ports- 
mouth Association. He was an impressive preacher and 
many men of influence professed religion under his 
preaching. At Newville, Sussex County, the people 
cleared a piece of ground, prepared logs for seats, and 
he held a meeting, the result of which was the organiza- 
tion of a church with twelve members. He became its 
pastor, and later a meeting-house was built. Many years 
after, when he was a second time pastor of Newville, 
another meeting-house was built. For several brief 
seasons he was pastor of Antioch Church, which was 
originally known as "the Baptist Church on Raccoon 
Swamp, Sussex County." In 1852 he moved to Bote- 
tourt Springs, and became pastor of Big Lick Church. 
His purpose in this move to the west was mainly that 
his daughters might attend Hollins Institute (now 
Hollins College). His work in this neighborhood helped 
towards the organization of the Enon Church, which 
took place January 27, 1855. He was a skilled mechanic, 
as well as a preacher, and, aided by his son and by a little 
boy named George Elter (whom he paid nine pence 
a day to carry shingles and so on), he built the Enon 
Meeting-House that still stands, an evidence of his 

501 



502 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

ability and faithfulness. He was pastor of Enon from 
its organization until the summer of 1856, when he re- 
turned to his former charge, Newville, in Sussex. In 
1863 he resigned at Newville, and on May 23, 1864, at 
Littleton, Sussex County, he passed away. He was 
buried at Spring Hill, near Homeville, Sussex County, 
but subsequently the body was moved to Elmwood 
Cemetery, Norfolk. He was married twice. His first 
wife was Miss Holleman, of Isle of Wight County. Of 
this marriage there were these children : John Ryland 
Gwaltney, Almarine Gwaltney, Wm. H. Gwaltney, Mrs. 
Almeda Wyatt, and Mrs. Ann Elizabeth Mildred 
Marable. His second wife was Martha Brundell. The 
children of the second marriage were Robert, Mary, 
Mattie, and Junius Kincaid. Through the kind help of 
Rev. J. R. Daniel many of the facts for this sketch have 
been secured. 



NATHAN HEALY 

1804-1845 

Nathan Healy, the youngest son of Rev. James Healy 
and his wife, Ruth, was born in Middlesex County, 
November 22, 1804. On May 12, 1822, he was married 
to Miss Mary Ann Bristow, daughter of Leonard and 
Lucy Bristow, of Middlesex. At the call of Clark's 
Neck Church he was ordained the third Sunday in 
March, 1828, Elders Richard Claybrook and George 
Nathan forming the presbytery. In 1832 he began to 
preach in a destitute part of Northumberland County. 
In 1833 he removed to a home called "Mulberry Grove," 
Northumberland County, and while living there was in- 
strumental in the formation of Gibeon Church, which he 
served as pastor until his death, August 3, 1845. About 
1844 he removed to Westmoreland County and located 
in the vicinity of Nomini Church, of which he had al- 
ready become pastor. He was among the founders of 
Baptist churches in the Northern Neck. One of his sons 
remained in Westmoreland County, the others moved to 
Baltimore. His children and grandchildren have re- 
flected credit on his name. The facts for this sketch are 
furnished bv Dr. G. W. Beale. 



503 



HENRY KEELING 

1795-1870 

Rev. Henry Keeling, Sr., was born in Princess Anne 
County, Virginia, in 1770. He was ordained in 1803, 
and served these churches : Back Bay, London Bridge, 
Black Water, and one church in North Carolina. He 
died at London Bridge in July, 1820. The subject of 
this sketch, also named Henry, the second of Mr. Keel- 
ing's fifteen children, was born in "Norfolk Borough," 
December 26, 1795. His early opportunities were 
limited, but he made the best use of such educational 
advantages as he had. At the age of twelve he was a 
clerk in a grocery store, and later in other mercantile 
establishments. He was converted in 1816, licensed to 
preach December 12, 1817, and ordained May 10, 1818. 
At his ordination the sermon was preached by Rev. 
Samuel Cornelius, and the charge delivered by Rev. 
Adoniram Judson, Sr. (father of the missionary). 
Upon advice of Luther Rice the young man went, in 
September, 1818, to Philadelphia to study in the Theo- 
logical Institution just opened, the first school for such 
instruction among Baptists in this country. His certifi- 
cate, dated Philadelphia, July 25, 1821, and signed by 
Wm. Staughton and Ira Chase, read thus : "This certifies 
that Henry Keeling has been a member of the Theo- 
logical Institution of the Baptist General Convention 
for three years ; has statedly attended to the public and 
private exercises prescribed in the Institution, and has 
sustained a Christian character. Having finished his 
regular course, he is now honorably dismissed." During 
these three years, having frequently preached for the 

504 



HENRY KEELING 505 

Roxborough Church, near Philadelphia, he now became 
pastor of this flock. After about a year, he went to 
Richmond, Va., where, at the First Baptist Church, he 
became nominally the assistant of Rev. John Courtney, 
"but really the sole pastor of the church." This relation 
continued three years. Rev. David Roper died February 
28, 1827, and by his request an address was made at the 
funeral by Rev. Henry Keeling. When Rev. J. L. 
Shuck and Miss Henrietta Hall were married, on the 
eve of their departure for China, the ceremony was per- 
formed by Mr. Keeling. For some years Mr. Keeling 
had a school for girls in Richmond, and he was at one 
time the teacher of William Carey Crane, afterwards a 
distinguished preacher and educator. The first pastor of 
the Grace Street Baptist Church, Richmond, that was 
originally the Third Church, and that had its earliest 
house of worship on the corner of Marshall and Second 
Streets, was Mr. Keeling. It seems that he "never 
became very thoroughly identified with the church. He 
owned and occupied a handsome brick residence in the 
lower part of the city, and becoming convinced that his 
people were careless as to his support, because of the 
imposing domicile in which he dwelt, he addressed them 
a caustic letter, in which he reminded them that 'he 
could not live on bricks and mortar.' . . . Possibly 
the church felt willing, after that letter, for him to try 
the experiment of subsisting on those innutritious sub- 
stances, for it was not long before their connection was 
dissolved." 

The story of how Virginia Baptists came to have a 
denominational paper is an interesting one. On Septem- 
ber 25, 1826, Mr. William Crane wrote to a friend from 
Richmond : "I send accompanying this three copies of 
the first number of the Richmond Evangelical Enquirer, 
by Brother Keeling. ... I don't think the first 



506 VIRGINIA BAPTIST MINISTERS 

number a very interesting one, but hope Brother Keeling 
will make a good editor when he gets a little further into 
it." In December of the same year Mr. Crane arranged 
for Mr. William Sands to come to Richmond to begin the 
publication of a Baptist paper. Mr. Crane assumed the 
bill of $677 for press, type, and so on, bought from 
Fielding Lucas, and on January 11, 1828, the first num- 
ber of the Religious Herald appeared, Mr. Keeling being 
the editor. After about two years Rev. Eli Ball suc- 
ceeded him as the editor of the Herald. In 1842 Mr. 
Keeling established the Baptist Preacher, a monthly 
periodical that contained sermons by leading Baptist 
ministers. From time to time it was Mr. Keeling's habit 
to add at the end of the Preacher an editorial note. In 
1856 he alluded to a sermon by Rev. J. H. Luther in the 
Preacher, on Divine Sympathy, as having been "balm to 
our distressed heart," having "found us and those whom 
we love most on earth in deep affliction." What this 
affliction was is not known. Mr. Keeling was useful 
along many lines. In 1835, when Richmond was having 
trouble from hot abolitionists, called "Incendiaries," a 
pile of the pamphlets that were being sent to the slaves, 
urging them to desperate deeds, were publicly burned in 
front of the post-office, and the Protestant clergymen of 
the city met and passed resolutions condemning this inter- 
ference by the abolitionists ; among those present at this 
meeting was Henry Keeling. He devoted much of his 
time to the instruction of the colored youth of the city. 
He was one of the organizers of the Virginia Baptist 
Education Society, and for some time its corresponding 
secretary. He was also one of the trustees of Richmond 
College in 1840, the year that it was incorporated. As 
to Mr. Keeling's preaching, Dr. J. L. Burrows said : "He 
was never a popular preacher, but his sermons were 
characterized by good taste, evident study, and purity of 



HENRY KEELING 507 

doctrine. Many preachers are more effective whose ser- 
mons have less intrinsic merit." One who, as a little boy, 
knew Mr. Keeling says that "he wore an enormous white 
beard and reminded me of pictures of Moses in the old 
family Bible." The Religious Herald for Thursday, 
November 24, 1870, says: "Rev. Henry Keeling, of this 
city, died on Saturday last in the seventy-first year of 
his age." 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Abraham, Wycliffe Yancey .....87-88 

Acree, R. R 249 

Adams, George D _ _ 410 

Adams, J. Q 205 

Aiken, William 61 

Alabama Central Female College 81 

Alderman, Edwin Anderson 53 

Alleghanv College _ 192 

Allen. L. W _ 421 

Alexander, James Waddel 43 

Alexander, Joseph Addison _ 43 

Anderson, Christopher 406 

Anderson, Major _ _ 26 

Asheville Baptist, The _ 390 

Ashburn, A. H _ , _ _ 50 

Atlantic Baptist, The 390 

Bagby, Alfred 137, 420, 458 

Bagby, George Franklin 137 

Bagby, H. A 147 

Bagby, John R 224,332 

Bagby, Richard Hugh 137 

Bagwell, R. W 373 

Bailey, C. T 158 

Bailey, R. R 396 

Baldwin, Elisha 46 

Baldwin, Noah Calton _ 46-48 

Baker, Andrew 47 

Ball, Dyer 19 

Baltimore Baptist, The 142 

Banks. H. H 109 

Banks, H. S _ 89 

Baptist, Edward Langston 424-426 

Baptist Teacher, The 360 

Baptist Visitor, The 72 

Baptist World, The _ 360 

Barker, F. M 350 

Barnhardt, J. A 394 

Barnes, James Henry 229-230 

Barron, Alonza Church 141-143 

Barton, L. E 51 

Battle, A. J _ 465 

Battle, H. W 265, 322, 435 

509 



510 INDEX 

PAGE 

Bayard, Thomas F 62 

Baylor University _ 367 

Beale, Frank Brown 147,207-211 

Bealer, George B _ 479 

Beale, G. W 180, 207, 211, 325, 363, 403, 404, 434, 439, 503 

Beamer, W. H 268 

Beauregard, General 26 

Bee, Z. E 481 

Bell, T. P 34,468 

Berg, John 70 

Berkley, F. P 444,445 

Bessant, C. W _ 314 

Bethel College 100 

Biblical Recorder 122, 158, 390 

BlLLINGSLEY, JOSEPH FRANCIS _ 403-405 

Bitting, C. C 298,429 

Bitting, W. C _ 63 

Bland, W. S _ 332 

Blevins, N. M 120 

Board, C. A 185 

Boatwright, F. W .361, 369, 461 

Boatwright, Reuben Baker 161, 369-373 

Boggs, Rev. Mr 65 

Bologna University 198 

Boston, Francis Ryland 152, 282, 311-313 

Boston, S. C 334 

Bowden, J. Theodore 50,411 

Bowie, Eddie 219 

Bowie, James 54 

Boyce, James P 18, 20, 23, 35, 460 

Boyce, Kerr 23 

Boykin, S 465 

Bradford, Edward A 61 

Bradford, George 72, 334 

Bradshaw, J. D 383 

Brantley, J. J 465 

Brantley, W. T 20 

Braxton, Thomas Corbin _ 500 

Brewer, J. B _ 316 

Broaddus, Andrew, Sr 345 

Broaddus, Andrew 210,494 

Broaddus, Julian 161 

Broaddus, W. F 162, 215, 339, 397, 474 

Broadus, John A 88, 145, 168, 190, 205, 215, 393, 301 

Brooks, C. W 98 

Brooks, Rev. Mr 24 

Brown, A. B 92, 137, 183, 301 

Brown, C. C 124 

Brown, G. W 314 



INDEX 511 

PAGE 

Brown, H. A 316 

Brown, John 38 

Brown, O. B _ 475 

Brown, Pleasant _ 92 

Brown, T. Edwin _ _. 136 

Brown, Thomas P 366 

Brown, Wade Bickers 154-155 

Bruce, Silas _ _. 155 

Bruner, Weston _ 1 18, 137 

Brunk, J. H _ _ 234 

Butler. John M _ 381 

Bucknell University _ 110,408 

Bush. Andrew _ 110 

Burrows, J. L 158. 214, 339, 350, 506 

Burrows, Lansing 486,499 

Buckles, William N _ 201-202 

Bundick, G. C 234 

Byerly, F. A '. _ 66 

Cabaniss, A. B 301 

Calhoun, John C : 54, 56 

Campbell, D. R _ 133 

Campbell, C. N 259 

Carpenter, J. C 497 

Carpenter, J. T 66 

Carroll, B. H _ 221 

Carroll, J. L 215 

Caspari, W. C 161 

Central Baptist, The 80, 123 

Chaplin, C C 182, 244, 498 

Chandler, H. J 89,109 

Chase, Ira _ 504 

Chase, William _ 248 

Chase, W. H 395 

Chase, William Staughton _ 396 

Childrey, J. T. M 280 

Christian, Charles 88 

Christian, Index, The _ 123, 204, 221, 327 

Christian Review, The 191 

Cleveland, Grover _ 62, 136 

Clifford, John H 61 

Clark, A. B 380 

Clark, T. D. D 430 

Clark, W. Thorburn 330, 411 

Claybrook, Frederick William _ 437-440 

Claybrook, Richard 503 

Clopton, James 104 

Clopton, Samuel Cornelius 104-107, 213 

Cocke, C. L 114 



512 INDEX 

PAGE 

Coleman, James D 452-454 

Colgate University 133 

Collier, Charles Weldon 435-436 

Collins, Powhatan E 257 

Columbian College 49, 114, 136, 161,311,389 

Conant, T. J 20 

Cone, W. H _ 395 

Connally, John A 63 

Conwell, Russell H 280 

Cook, David _ 256 

Cook, J. B 247 

Cook. J. J .• 165 

Cooper, George 64,406 

Corey, Charles H 170 

Councill, J. G 133 

Craig, D. 1 316 

Crawford, Rev. Mr 21 

Cridlin, Ransell White 38, 150, 332, 379-384 

Crowder, Hosea 237 

Crozer Theological Seminary 147,179,279,285,409 

Curry, Jabez Lamar Monroe 53-64, 214, 259, 260, 262, 265, 340 

Cummings, Henry S 319 

Dabney, George E 182 

Dailey, L. E 391 

Daniel, J. R 502 

Darlington, J. J 117 

Davidson, Judson Carey 427-430 

Davis, Isaac 314 

Davis, James Allison _ 83-86 

Davis, Jefferson 64,265 

Davis, Noah K 198,254 

Davis, Q. C 391 

Daughtry, William Bonnie 411-412 

Deans, Joseph Franklin 49-52, 179, 381 

Decker, W. J 404 

Derieux, W. T _ 433,434 

Dickinson, Alfred Elijah 45, 66, 122, 166-176, 203, 332, 346, 382 

Dickinson, C. R 308 

Dickinson, J. T 170,176 

Diggs, Isaac 433 

Dix, Levin 149,150 

Dixon, A. C _ 262,277 

Dixon, James 205 

Dodd, Charles Hastings 410 

Dodge, H. W 161, 162, 474-476 

Dudley, E. E 52 

Duke, C. W 51, 319, 320, 321 

Dulin, W. B 147 



INDEX 513 

PAGE 

Dunawav. A. B _ 51,249 

Dunawav. Thomas S 207, 345, 452 

Dunaway, Wayland F ...207,440 

Eaton, Dr _ 20 

Eaton, George N 61 

Eaton. T. T _ 483-486 

Edmonds, Richard Henry 449-452 

Edmondson, Thomas F 120 

Edwards, Richard 179-180 

Ellett, T. H _ _ 396 

Ellyson, Henry, K _ 251,380 

Ellyson, Onan 251-252 

Ellyson, J. Taylor 38, 311, 361, 372 

Elsom, P. G - 66 

Epps, Edward 245 

Eubank, Alexander _ 67-68, 92, 393 

Evans, A. B : _ 126 

Evans, John M 448 

Evans, Thomas B _ 125 

Evarts, Wm. L 61 

Examiner, The 199 

Farish, William P 144, 301 

Farish, C. W _ 396 

Farragut, D. G _ 61 

Faulkner, John Kerr 385-388 

Ferrell, Peter W 338 

Fellers, L. P 94 

Fife, James 301 

Figg, Royall _ 380 

Finn, Daniel W _ 54 

Fish, Hamilton _ 61 

Fisher, W. F _ 51, 299 

Fleet, Alexander 147, 362-363 

Fleming, Josh 53 

Fletcher, J. F _ _ 326 

Flippo, Oscar Farish 69-78, 150, 482 

Folkes, R. A 230 

Foreign Mission Journal _ 199 

Foushee, N. B 90 

Franklin College 55 

Franklin College (Indiana) 317 

Frazier, Wm. A _ 145 

French, J. A 203,213 

Fry, C. F 222 

Fuller, Richard 21, 22, 23, 137, 462 

Funk, Benjamin _ _ 239-240 

Funk, Timothy 234-236 



514 INDEX 

PAGE 

Gardner, C. S 473 

Garland, R. D 318 

Garlick, J. R 214, 345-347, 458 

Garnett, W. F. G -. 245 

Gatewood, Thomas Breckenridge _ 377-378 

Gaw, B. D _ 420 

Geddings, Dr 24 

George, Z. Jeter _ 352 

Georgetown College 100, 133 

Gilbert, Robert Babbor 364 

Gill, Mrs. Everette 82 

Goodwin, H. J 230,440 

Goodwin, A. T 245 

Goode, Ann Spottswood 424 

Goode, J. K 51 

Goode, Thomas F _ 425 

Gore, Mrs. S. S 82 

Gordon, Armistead Churchill 53 

Gordon, John 280, 409, 410 

Gordon, John Churchill 231 

Gospel Worker, The 159 

Grace, E. L 228 

Graham, E. K 341 

Grant, U. S 61 

Graves, R. H 472 

Gray, B. D .472,489 

Gray, E. H 416 

Gregory, Ernest Thomas 103 

Gregory, John M 245 

Green, Berryman 181 

Green, T. M 391 

Green, W. C 106 

Gresham, William A 61 

Griffith, B 123 

Griesmer, H. A 329 

Grimsley, Simeon U _ 177-178 

Grimsley, Thomas F 154, 155,365-366 

Gwaltney, James Lancaster 501-502 

Gwaltmey, R. R 107 

Gwin, D. W - 365 

Habel, S. T 402 

Hale, P. T - 486 

Haley, L. J - 247, 338, 404 

Hall, Addison 249,450 

Hall, Charles A 132 

Hall, T. A 202,333 

Hall, W 447 

Hamilton, Sir William 406 



INDEX 515 

PAGE 

Hamner, John _ 427 

Hampden-Sidney College 43, 127 

Hankins. Wm 268 

Hard, Wm 24 

Hardaway, J. S 489 

Hardcastle, E. L 325 

Harding, Aaron 100 

Hardwick, Alvin 329 

Hardwick. J. B 381 

Hargrave. J. H 79 

Harris. H. H 64,85,145,168,214,219,338,357 

Harris. J. H _ 66 

Harris, Samuel G 424 

Harris, William ("Father") 86,92, 114,350 

Harris, William B 365 

Harrison, Gessner _ — 190 

Harrison, J. R _ 84, 85, 92 

Harrow, John W 161 

Hart, A. J 120 

Hart, John 81,368 

Hart, Joseph Washington _ 433-434 

Harvard, University _ _ 55, 56 

Harvey, W. P 486 

Harwood, John W 165 

Hash, Albert Grant 326-327 

Hatcher, E. B 361 

Hatcher, H, E, 161 

Hatcher, Harvey 121-124, 182 

Hatcher, Jeremiah 121 

Hatcher, William Eldridge 42, 64, 65, 92, 100, 158, 182, 228, 

294, 300, 304, 309, 348-361 

Hawkins, E. P 404 

Hawthorne, James Boardman 253-267, 368 

Hayes, Rutherford B 56 

Haymore, R. D 85,274-276 

Headley, Wm _ 316 

Healy, Nathan 503 

Hedley, Wm 42 

Henderson, Samuel 58 

Hendrickson, Charles R _ 450 

Henry, Patrick 40 

Henry, William Wirt 39 

Hening, B. Cabell 147 

Henson, P. S _ 269,370 

Herndon, C. T 399 

Herndon, Thadeus 97 

Hess, James _ 163 

Hicks, J. E 489 

Hiden, John C 218, 338, 435 



516 INDEX 

PAGE 

Hill, A. P 220 

Hill, W. A 165 

Hines, W. P 51 

Hitchborn, Mrs 19 

Hoge, Moses D 142 

Hollins College 1 14, 270 

Holman, Russell 231 

Holmes, J. E. L 214 

Holt, A. J 320 

Hopkins, Dr _ 153 

Hopkins, John W 377 

Howard College 59, 141, 256, 263, 326 

Howell, R. B. C 128, 245 

Hume, Thomas, Jr 214, 219, 337-344, 385 

Hume, Thomas, Sr 109, 337, 381 

Hundley, John Walker 178,442-445 

Hundley, W. T 362 

Hunton, Eppa _. 38 

Hutson, J. B 333,472 

Hutson, J. E 101 

I Anson, Vernon _.237, 238, 391 

Irwin, C. M _ 206 

James, Benjamin Carter 164-165 

James, Charles Fenton 38-42, 382 

James, F. H 243 

James, John C _ _ 219 

James, W. C 303 

Jackson, "Stonewall" 169, 218, 221, 303 

Jefferson, Thomas 39 

Jeffries, James 135 

Jenkins, Carter Ashton _...277, 420 

Jeter, J. B 30, 122, 128, 169, 214, 245, 300, 339, 340, 345, 353, 

357,491,492 

Johnson, Fullerton _ 245 

Johnson, J. L 219, 220, 301, 338, 339 

Johnson, Lucius Brutus 254 

Johnson, T. N _ 269,272 

Johnston, Joseph E 59, 229, 425 

Jones, C. G - 85 

Jones, Carter Helm _ 102, 224, 294 

Jones, E. P _ 250 

Jones, Frerre Houston 314-316 

Jones, Tames E _ 330, 411 

Jones, John William 87, 161,218-228,338,339,396 

Jones, Reuben 450,451 

Jones, Sam 75 

Jones, Tiberius Gracchus _ 301,450 

Judson College 398 



INDEX 517 

PAGE 

Kable, Wm _. 385 

Keeli nc, Henry 353, 504-507 

Keene, T. C 381 

Kemper, James Foley 287-288 

Kendrick, Dr 20 

Kendrick, Joseph B - 374-375 

Kern, I. T 212 

Kerfoot. F. H 311 

Kerr, John 385 

Kincannon, C. T 394 

Kincannon, J. T 48, 429 

King, Judge Mitchell 20 

Kingsford, Edward 162, 353, 490-496 

Kirk, Wm. H .....207, 450 

Kline, John 220 

Knight, Ryland 228 

Lacy, B. T 221 

Lacv, John H 183 

Lake, I. B 457 

Lamb, John Moody 127-129 

Landmark Banner, The 48 

Lancaster, John Frazier 273-274, 461, 473 

Landrum, W. W 102,361 

La Rue, Miss Sarah 326 

Lawless, J. L 411 

Laws, William _ 149 

Lawton, Joseph A _ 463 

Leas, David P 410 

Lee, R. E 35, 41, 169, 218, 221, 229 

Lee, W. H. F 301 

Leftwich, G. W _ _ 92 

Leftwich, George M 396 

Leftwich, James 1 14 

Leonard, Joseph _ 281 

Lewis, Thomas W.. _ 130 

Lewisburg University 1 10 

Lindsay, R. S , 396 

Logan, David 183 

Long, J. C 215, 244, 245 

Long, James _ 386 

Long, Joseph R 478 

Longanacre, James _ 182 

Longfellow, H. W _ 56 

Longstreet, Augustus Baldwin 54 

Love, J. F _ 411, 473 

Love, John 280 

Loving, J. B 368 

Lowell, James Russell 56 



518 INDEX 

PAGE 

Lowry, W. Joseph 259 

Luck, J. M 85 

Luck, James Paschal 392-394 

Luke, Isaac V 482 

Luke, J. M. C _ 482 

Lunsford, Lewis 91 

Lunsford, Merriman 91 

Lunsford, Robert Rhodam 91-93 

Luther, J. H 506 

Macalister, Charles 61 

Madison, James 39 

Madison University 18, 20, 23, 407 

Maginnis, Dr 20 

Maiden, James Franklin 94-96 

Mallorv, C. D _ 54 

Mallory, Richard 162 

Manly, Basil, Jr 80 

Manly, Basil, Sr 18 

Manly, Charles 270 

Mansfield, J. W 83 

Margrave, Wm. G _ 371 

Martin, F. H : 243 

Martin, John W _ 298-299 

Mason, Emmett, J., Jr 497 

Mason, Samuel Griffin 241 

Mason, Otis 136 

Massie, Samuel P 65, 298, 299, 441 

May, Isaac Newton 367-368 

McArthur, R. S 261 

McCarthy, John 380 

McCown, Charles Franklin 244 

McCown, John W 244-247 

McDonald Henry _ 99-101 

McDaniel, George W 310,410 

McDufne, George 54 

McFarland, R. A 412 

McGuffey, Wm. H 190 

Mcllwaine, Charles P 61 

McLeod, Duncan _ 249 

McKerley, Rev. Mr 54 

McMillan, W. R 299 

McKinley. William 173 

Meador, Chastain Clark _ 114-119 

Melton, Sparks W 310 

Merrikin, Richard H 73 

Milbourne, Lodowic Ralph _ _ 149-153 

Miller, Thomas P 416 

Mitchell, J. W _...- 127,128 



INDEX 519 

PAGE 

Moffett, John R 318 

Moore, F. W 103 

Moore, L. W 332 

Montague, J. Adolphus 442 

Montgomery, W. A _ 429 

Morgan, J. Pierpont 419 

Morgan, Rev. Mr 70 

Morgan, Stephen E 245 

Morriss, M. M 155 

Mossy Creek College _ 465 

Mullins, E. Y _ 137,357 

Munden, Nathan M 89-90 

Munday, James Alexander ....269-272 

Murdoch, Joseph Rvland 147-148 

Murray. A. S 326 

Murray, J. S _ 326 

Murrell, Rufus :. _ 181 

Naff, S. L 250 

Nelson, James 136, 150, 311, 410 

Newman, Theron Wallace 97-98 

Nicoll, W. J _ 413 

Nininger, N. T _ 74 

Norfolk College 340 

Norris, Calvin Roah 431-432 

Northam, George H _ 207 

Ogden, Armistead H 377 

Ogilvie, John _ 477 

Oncken, J. G 474 

Otey, John M 129 

Owen, Austin Everett 51, 156-160 

Owen, Wm. Russell 160 

Parrish, Madison E 277-278 

Pattie, D. M 132 

Pauling, L. D 150 

Peabody, George 61, 63, 64 

Peale, R. E 426 

Pearcy, George 104 

Pearcy, J. H _ 391 

Pearson, Thomas P _ 286 

Peck, George 100 

Penick, William Sydnor 122, 181-186, 361, 458 

Pennington, G. W 120 

Pennington, B. P 480-481 

Perkins, Jesse Clopton 447 

Perry, John Major _ 1 10-1 1 1 

Petigru, James Lewis 54 



520 INDEX 

PAGE 

Petty, Henry _ 108-109 

Peyton, E. G _ _ 66 

Pilcher, J. M 51, 52, 249, 396, 417, 435, 441 

Pitt, R. H 304, 361, 461 

Poindexter, A. M 183, 301, 304 

Pollard, E. B 102,140 

Pollard, John 125, 135-140 

Pollard, John Mrs 105 

Pollard, John Garland _ 140 

Ponton, A. J 431 

Porter, James A _ 213 

Poteat, E. M 137 

Prince, George W 396 

Princeton College _ 43 

Province, S. M 458 

Pullen, John 500 

Pulliam, Samuel H _...182,351 

Purser, J. F 489 

Quarles, John Rhodes 242-243 

Quarles, Charles _ 242,301 

Ragland, Hugh Davis 421-423 

Randolph, John Thompson „ 144-146 

Read, Marshall W 79 

Reid, Robert - 275 

Religious Herald, The 40, 65, 85, 106, 113, 122, 126, 127, 169, 

172, 199, 207, 221, 244, 250, 278, 279, 295, 299, 305, 313, 
316, 319, 321, 360, 369, 372, 377, 382, 433, 434, 452. 

Renfroe, J. J. D 59, 258 

Reynolds, Albert D 323 

Rhea, William Francis 217 

Rhodes, Walter 328-329 

Rice, Archibald Alexander 43-45 

Rice, Benjamin Holt 43 

Rice, Samuel W 56 

Richard, J. C 1 12 

Richmond College 36, 38, 49, 51, 55, 59, 60, 63, 65, 67, 80, 100, 

103, 107, 121, 125, 141, 147, 154, 157, 159, 167, 168, 170, 
172, 179, 182, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195, 203, 207, 224, 231, 
237, 239, 244, 262, 269, 279, 285, 290, 298, 300, 308, 320, 
321, 330, 338, 339, 340, 345, 346, 351, 357, 363, 385, 395, 
396, 401, 408, 433, 442, 455, 456, 471. 

Riddick, J. T - 250 

Riggs, Geo. W 61 

Riley, B. F - 253 

Ritter, L. M 329 

Rives, Wm. C 61 

Roanoke Female College 79,340 



1XDEX 521 

PAGE 

Roberts, T. W _ 269 

Robinson, John 135 

Rochester University _ 216 

Rockefeller, John D 63 

Rodgers, Samuel 162 

Rodgers, S. B _ 320 

Rogers, A. E 73 

Roper, David _ 505 

Rowland, A. J 410 

Royall, W. S 85,430 

Russell, George Peabody 61 

Rvlaxd, Charles Hill .45, 63, 147, 161, 182, 303, 361, 369, 

370, 420, 455-461 

Ryland, John William 125-126,147,182,351 

Ryland, Josiah 49 

Ryland, Robert 152, 167, 182, 351 

Ryland. W. S .' 338 

Sale, W. C 250 

Sallade, Jacob 279-280 

Samson, G. W _ 496 

Sanderson, F. N 92 

Sands, A. H 214 

Sands. Wm _ 506 

Sandford, John H 248 

Sanford, M. F 250, 323, 383 

Sanford, Robert Bailey _ 248-250 

Sams, Oscar E _ 252, 272 

Samson, George W 136,340 

Savage, W. V 51 

Scott, Thomas D 268 

Sears, Barnas 61 

Selfe, Wilson V 376 

Senter, D _ 47 

Senter, N. M 47 

Settle, J. J 477 

Settle, Vincent Thomas 477-478 

Seymore, T. L 250 

Shaver, David 353, 498-499, 492 

Shepherd, Thomas Benton 161-162 

Shipman, T. J 361 

Shipman, W. J 88, 161, 335 

Shipp, E. G 167 

Sisk, W. W _ 126,230 

Skinner, T. Clagett _ 472 

Skinner, T. E 465 

Skinner, Thomas 97,98 

Smith, A. B 332,492 

Smith, G. B _ 380 



522 INDEX 

PAGE 

Smith, H. C 335 

Smith, J. Worthington 477 

Smith, Jasper K 185 

Smith, John _ 129 

Smith, S. F 170,218 

Smith, W. H 473 

Smith, W. R. L 228,287,372,397,488,489 

Snyder, W. A 52 

Snead, George Holm an _ 300-310 

Solomon, J. B _ 158,213 

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 38, 65, 80, 103, 120, 

154, 161, 165, 204, 208, 219, 224, 287, 300, 393, 
396, 401, 410, 425, 428, 433, 437. 

Southern Historical Society Papers _. 226 

Southwestern Baptist, The 258 

Sowers, N. 81 

Sower, The _ 199 

Spencer, David _ 410 

Speight, Henry 389 

Speight, John Alexander 389-391 

Speight, T. T 389,391 

Sprague, T. H 280 

Staley, D 92 

Stevenson, T. J _ 102 

Story, Judge _ 56 

Straton, Henry Dundas Douglas 446-448 

Straton, John Roach 448 

Street, J. M 86 

Street, W. H 373 

Strider, John P 302 

Stuart, C. E 202,284-286 

Sturgis, C. F 254 

Sumrell, H. A 185 

Swann, George 42 

Tabb, B. West 456 

Tabler, John T _ 475 

Talbird, Henry 280 

Taylor, C. T 96,120 

Taylor, D. G 268,273 

Taylor, George Boardman 49, 87, 187-200, 218, 339, 397 

Taylor, J. B 26, 168, 188, 300, 301, 353, 466 

Taylor, J. B., Jr _ 182, 220, 300-305, 338, 351 

Taylor, James Ira 296-297 

Taylor, J. J 51, 274, 276, 290 

Taylor, J. L _ 28,273 

Taylor, Mary Argyle 200 

Taylor, T. J 250 

Taylor, W. C 297 



INDEX 523 

PAGE 

Taylor. W. H _ 370,371 

Teasdale, T. C 465 

Temple University 280 

Terry, O. L - 364 

Thames, T. B .42,487-489 

Thomas, James, Jr 59 

Thomas, James Magruder 400-402 

Thomas, John Richard 413-414 

Thomas. John W - 264 

Thomas. Wm. D 220,339 

Thompson, C. M 486 

Thompson, S. H 113, 165, 317-318, 320 

Thompson, William _. 317 

Thornton, Miss Alice _ 401 

Timrod, Henry Hannibal 20 

Todd, Asa . 415 

Toronto University 407 

Toy, C. H _ 161, 220, 301 

Trevis, Alexander 253 

Tribble, Henry Wise 319-322 

Truett, Geo. W 265 

Tucker, R. Atwell 65-66 

Tupper, Henry Allen 13-37,466 

Turner, David 395 

Turner, Joseph A 182,351 

Turpin, John Broadus 213-217 

Turpin, Miles 104,213 

Tyree, Cornelius 396, 447 

Tyree, W. C 66,316 

University of Chicago 194 

University of Georgia 55 

University of Virginia .' 144, 145, 168, 182, 183, 189, 190, 191, 

194, 198, 199, 218, 224, 226, 300, 301, 307, 321, 330, 339, 

350, 367, 385, 397. 
Upshaw, Will D 320 

Vaughan, John C 201 

Virginia Military Institute 225, 287, 302, 437, 439 

Waddell, Moses 54 

Waddill, Edmund, Jr 129 

Waite, Rev. Mr 70 

Walker, J. G 410 

Walker. W. L 142 

Wallace, Isaac T _ _ 245 

Wallace, Rev. Mr 70 

Walton, L. H _ 310 

Wake Forest College 270 



524 INDEX 

PAGE 

Ward, John Wyatt 133-134 

Warren, L. B _ 320 

Warren, Patrick 334 

Warren, Patrick Thomas _ 334-336 

Washington, George 129 

Washington and Lee University 224, 225, 302 

Watchman, The 199,200 

Watchman-Examiner, The 360 

Watkins, Haddon 361 

Watkinson, M. R 89 

Wayland, J. W 234,239 

Wayts, Willis F 431 

Weaver, James 325 

Webb, W. R 237-238 

Webster, Daniel 56 

Welford, E. T 250 

Wharton, H. M 137,206 

Wharton, Morton Bryan 203-206 

White, Augustus 70 

White, John E 102 

Whitescarver, W. A 308, 340, 447 

Whitsitt, William Heth 228, 290-295 

Whittinghill, D. G 198 

Wiatt, W. E 125,230 

Wilbur, J. M 280 

Wildman, J. W 86 

Wilkinson, John Robert _ 332-333 

William Jewel College 288 

William and Mary College 229, 424 

Williams, George Franklin 415-420 

Williams, H. T 110 

Williams, J. W. M 339 

Williams, William Harrison 80-82, 122, 396 

Williamson, Robert 282-283 

Willingham, R. J 303, 361, 462-473 

Willis, E. J 380 

Willis, John Milton _ 231-233 

Wilson, L. T 250 

Wilson, Norvell 353 

Wilson, M. A 112-113 

Wilson, William L 136 

Wilson, Woodrow 94 

Winfree, D. B 332 

Winfrey, E. W _ 288 

Winkler, E T 479 

Winn, S. R 165 

Witherspoon, T. D 222 

Winthrop, Robert C 61,62 

Witmore, Samuel 61 



INDEX 525 

PAGE 

Witness, The 199 

Witt, J. D _ 161 

Wood, M. L 435 

Woodfin, Augustus Beverly 380, 395-399 

Woodfin, A. P ;. 380,396 

Woodson. C. A 38 

Word and Way, The 288 

Womble, W. F 316 

Wrenn, C. E 289 

Yates, Mrs. Levi 19 

Yoer, Jacob _ 14 

Young, George 410 

Young, William M 361 



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